rock circles

Will whoever is making circles in the mighty Aude
please not stop? Todays isn't my favorite but its the only
one I have a photo of. Watching the water rise and fall over
the stones is one of the few pleasures left in my life.
Thank you, whoever you are.

wet through after hail

more goodbyes

Extraordinarily frisky goodbye apero for Jez and Bilo,
Kozmo and Nicole - all happily raucous, thanks to Toby
and Leo, in the 35°temperatures - when suddenly these
great lumps of ice dropped out of the sky. Mega hailstorm.
Below is one on Kozmos wedding ring...


.
Heres me and Bilo thinking about things and Koz and Nicole,
now en route to Nice... Bon V., mes enfants!

Literary giant hits Tilling

Well, not exactly Tilling - more like Rennes-les-Bains -
but literary giant Kate Moss was signing books at Marcus'
Espace d'Art tonight and will continue so to do for the weekend.
You know her as the fabulous author of Labyrinth and now new
sensational Sepulchure but you may not have sensed the gentle,
wistful creature that inhabits the hardworking wife and mother
who runs an international writing concern with a ruthless yet
feminine thoughtfulness and etc etc
Actually she did seem rather nice and I liked her husband -
but I can't read that stuff; those that can, quite like it.

attention Annie

You know that recipe you wrote on my kitchen wall
for infallible rice?
It doesn't work.
It burns during apero in Leos garden -
alas

*poof* and another one disappears

Poos paw

And hes off....

Finally managed to get a decent picture of Mr Hall, and hes off.
Bah.
On the plus side, hes agreed to blog on from Edenborough
wherever that is.

Also gone today is Thérèse, back to Paris and the lowlife.

More news; it didn't rain yesterday in Ireland.
Annie sends love to all. They're back end of August.

Poo has emailed an x-ray of her finger which is now better-
lovely bones Poo, can't find out how to blog the xray but will
when I can work it out. Currently saved in my bookmarks.

And Koz's wedding photos precede him and his bride,
they arrive here tomorrow. I fear copyright infringement
or I'd post a couple of those, well charming.

Tilling Tree Insect

Here is a fine photo of the rather rare Tilling Tree Insect
shedding its skin...
It was still at the little fountain this morning.
(Camouflaged, so look carefully!)

that UFO in full

great party

Pete is hung over. Oh, and his arm is broken in two places.
Great party!!
Hows everyone else??

And so we say farewell...

Firstly, farewell to David and Clare and the girls...
they left early after Clare's fall at T-Rex
which badly bruised her toe.
This meant that the driving couldn't be shared
so a two-stage trip was in order...
They had planned to leave at 4.00am which was when
the weather broke and an amazing storm erupted -
hope they were tucked up somewhere nice
by then!




We will shortly say farewell to Kates tube
see above - a remnant of her liver transplant -



but not to Yvonne's nose stud or Madame Pallaro's tattoo

-all of which is by way of avoiding the leaving party of
Bilo, Jezza and Steve which was so sad -
but a marvelous party, in the vineyards
tucked into the mountains...



There we are before the moon came up

I took a video of the UFO that came over but its not
great quality. Perhaps someone else has shots?

feux d'artifice

looks like the beginning of a new world
rather than the end of the old one.
Not sure which it is that the French celebrate.
By all accounts the train and the fireworks were fab -
next year we will actually get there. Thanks to Peter
for these splendid photies

take to the hills

bastille eve

It rained, of course, but the band weren't bad
and the booze was drinkable.

Tilling Ten Vernissage

... nearly all the Tilling Ten were present
and Lo! M.J. was there, a pleasure to see her
scouting for talent. She says that the USA has
the same headlines as England - doom, doom
and more doom - this we assume is to make
people fearful. They are then disinterested in war
and the other horrors that are committed in
their name.
Can't think of any other reason.
Unless doom sells papers...

birthday pressie extraordinaire

Wow - a symmetrical object named after me!
Suddenly life is worth living again.
(Poo has gone and I'm sad)
So, my group corresponds to an elliptic curve of conductor 672,
being The Vanilla Beer Group Set [C[1], C[2], C[3], C[4]]=[0,4, 0, 7]

Yeah OK I'm baffled too. See

 http://www.firstgiving.com/findingmoonshine

prayers and diary dates

Prayers first
- to whatever dark gods you command -

Kelly has fallen - sober - and knocked herself out,
still concussed but resting.
Should be in hospital but claims to know best.

Annie has got a kidney stone.

here are the texts in slightly edited fullness;

"Last night quite exciting got taken to hospital
by sappeur pompiers at 4am but luckily
only a kidney stone..."

In response to questions she textoed again:

"In hospital at 4am thinking thoughts of death
and out at 11 feeling much improved after pain
killing drip xray mriscan and various analyses
pete and kids slept on in van wonderfully
efficient french health service still slightly
wobbly but enjoying break from work"

(Just goes to show how dangerous it is to leave Tilling.)

Poo says she started it with getting her finger smashed
so we needn't fret about the third, that is three.

Nonetheless, take care all.
And get well soon, les blessés.

Diary dates;

Thursday 10th July the Ten Artists of Tilling open at
Ediths Atelier, start 5.30, push off early, all welcome
Friday 11th July Virginé opens her boutique in the
old restaurant de 2 Musées; 6.30 all welcome
Saturday 12th July Stan and Debs are performing
at the reopening of the bar at Fa, 9.30 but I'd get there
early - gets crowded -

See you!

social secretary needed -

Its been brought to my attention that some of my dear friends
believed themselves to be not invited to Friday nights events.

There is a good reason for this; my incompetence.

I did an email list which didn't work - I never understand
the bloody things - so I sent the invites one by one through
someone else's account.

This means there were various opportunities for failure.
So if you didn't get an invite its my fault and I'm very
sorry but there will be others unless liver failure gets us first.

independance day party

Words fail in the face of so much, erm...
but thanks everyone for making the party
such fun.

vernissage at the Casino Alet les Bains, 4th July

Thanks to Philippe of the Casino for lathering me and guests in booze and food - very nice indeed and a smashing party despite the heat. Anyone want a portrait done???

Poo arrives

carca massacre statistic

It seems that the elfish Sarko has been planning army budget cuts of 17%.
17 people were shot with live ammo in a mock hostage demonstration by the army.
Weird, eh?

soirée impec

The Ullabendix exchange an intimate moment during last
nights revels - which were wonderful -

Scottish Dave is back

Sorry Dave - you were right about the photo being shite...

I have spared your blushes by putting up a photo of
Phillipe's dog (cross between English bulldog and saber
toothed tiger) instead.

More good news, apart from Daves family being back in town,
is that the Café de la Gare is doing fantastic proper delicious good
food very cheaply and are serving it outside on the ex-boules court.
Difficult to imagine they'll be able to sustain last nights standard
for much longer - they're exhausted already -so get there sooner
rather than later.

All of which is by way of avoiding mentioning the terrible catastrophe
in Carcassonne, apart from Sarko the Elfs visit. The latest is that the
shooting of 17 innocent bystanders by the army was an error. Well, yes.
But now its official. Phew.