Hurrah for the Hoopoe

March 18, 2010 by tony · Leave a Comment 

At last – after a blooming cold winter, this morning Carole head the sound of the Hoopoe – each summer we welcome these outrageous birds to our garden, their distinctive call and crazy plumage are a delight. This morning is was admittedly more of a lower case “hoop – hoop”, probably saying why the hell did I leave Africa to come to the South of France, instead of “come on big boy, I’m waiting for you”.

They are happy birds, said to be bringers of good luck – a guide through difficulties – they are faithful and they are smelly.

Come on in Hoopoes, summer awaits you on Villa Roquette

A Haiku Deferred

March 14, 2010 by tony · Leave a Comment 

no inspiration -

a day of sand and cement -

my haiku must wait -

Haiku for Mixing Concrete

March 13, 2010 by tony · Leave a Comment 

Bond sand lime and stones -
Glopiter revolves -
A new foundation -

Haiku for the Death of a Butterfly

March 12, 2010 by tony · Leave a Comment 

stuck on fresh wet paint -

a butterfly’s wings can’t move -

so many colors -

Haiku for a Helium Balloon

March 11, 2010 by tony · Leave a Comment 

Longing to escape -

My balloon tugs at the wind -

But it talks in squeaks -

Haiku for a House Painter

March 10, 2010 by tony · Leave a Comment 

My coat is not warm -
Yet it satisfies your eye -
By hiding the truth -

Haiku for a Pool in Winter

March 9, 2010 by tony · Leave a Comment 

Glazed crazed iced cover –
Deep sleeping summer promise –
Our pool rests and waits –

….. Waiting for you at Villa Roquette this summer :)

Haiku for March snow

March 8, 2010 by tony · Leave a Comment 

Fractured cream froth coat
Roquette flowers will push through
March snow is soon gone

Into something rich and strange

March 7, 2010 by tony · Leave a Comment 

I aim to “Suffer A Sea-Change”. A time to alter, a time not to fade, but to make bones of coral and eyes of pearls.

Our home has been the focus of work and investment for over two years, creating apartments and services so we can welcome guests, as we did for ten years in our previous home in Nizas. the problem is I am divided between working on two more apartments and working on the marketing needed to bring paying guests to our home.

Being a simple person, a bear of little brain, I am incapable of doing two things at the same time, so when I am ‘rude mechanical’ mode I am incapable of working on internet sites and writing newsletter, blogging and networking – but when, like now, I work with the keyboard, the vital painting, bricklaying and concreting are vague duties to be done “later”.

The stimulus is the need to earn some money – all we have is invested in our home at Villa Roquette and the Internet has changed from an open playing field to a vast sporting complex. Competition is fierce, so getting clients to our apartments from a web-site is much harder.

Hence the need to ‘stiffen the sinews’ and do a bit of loin girding. I cannot do two things at the same time, so I will try to organise my time to both building and writing yet avoid conflict withing the few active grey-cells I have remaining.

Since naming our home Roquette, I have only really begun to notice the huge fields of this magical plant around us (roquette is also known as arugala and rocket). At this time of the year the fields are left to themselves and wild Roquette (there is no domesticated variety) – here is a photo I took today walking the dogs…

roquette in field at Montblanc

Field of Roquette in Montblanc