Category Archives: summer

A handful of coques…..

Posted on October 26, 2012 by

The best laid plans …pointless to continue as I’ve laid as many brilliant plans as I have eggs. Brilliant planning is not in my remit. I am passing through this vale of tears flying by the seat of my pants … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Food and Photography, Photography, France, Photography holiday, Digital photography, Writing, Cooking, food, summer, mussels, seafood, Mediterranean food, peppers, Fruit, Recipes, photography course, 2012, Food photographer, Crayfish, Art photography, Summer holidays, Excess, Expectation, Weather, coques, clams, langoustines, vongole, Benny Hill | Tagged | 48 Comments

Summertime blues……

Posted on August 23, 2012 by

The August malaise of “all play” is starting to make Jacques a dull boy. If me equals Jacques then boy equals ageing smudger. The longed for beribboned parcel of  sun and blue skies duly arrived. It arrived after a long … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, Art photography, blackberries, Blackberry, Creme de Mure, Digital photography, Dreams, Excellence, Expectation, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, harmony, Ingrate, perfect day, Photography, photography course, Photography holiday, Smudger, Still life, summer, Summer holidays | 40 Comments

Blackberries fool angels……

Posted on August 20, 2012 by

I’ve been meaning not to get a Blackberry and I haven’t. What I have got are bowls and bags of brambles freshly collected from as far afield as 200 metres from my front door. I’m neither a hunter nor much … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, Art photography, Blackberries, Blackberry, Blackberry fool, Blackberrying, brambles, Cooking, creme fraiche, desserts, Digital photography, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, Fools rush in, France, French countryside, Fruit, Icing sugar, Photography, photography course, Photography holiday, Recipes, Still life, Sugar, summer, Vendee, Writing | 42 Comments

The sweet smell of excess….

Posted on August 16, 2012 by

I remember the excitement of “overdoing it”, the anticipation of “going too far” and the sweet smell of excess. The resilience of youth to absorb punishment in the form of recreational stimulants is Olympian when viewed in the rear vision mirror as … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, Art photography, Childhood memories, Digital photography, Excess, Food and Photography, Food photographer, French countryside, Good luck, harmony, lifestyle, Luck, Memory, Photography, photography course, Photography holiday, Still life, summer, Uncategorized, Wine, Writing | 38 Comments

The elusive scent of past summers….

Posted on August 12, 2012 by

There’s a smell to the summer holidays of my youth that I can’t describe or define but which still haunts me. This friendly phantom will appear unannounced as a waft of a hardly remembered past that is filled with detail … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, Apricot tart, Apricot tart, apricots, Art photography, baking, Childhood, Childhood memories, Cooking, desserts, Digital photography, Eggs, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, Fruit, Ghost, Phantom, Photography, photography course, Photography holiday, Summer holidays, tart, Writing | 26 Comments

An appointment with Algy…

Posted on July 23, 2012 by

Half full or half empty is more than just a  rhetorical question when it comes to a swimming pool. Anything other than full is “broken” or “empty”. Algy, the green goblin, has beaten me into submission. He gobbles up the … Continue reading →

Posted in Algae, Digital photography, Indolence, lifestyle, Metamorphosis, Photography, summer, swimming pool, Uncategorized, Writing | 32 Comments

Rat shit, bat shit, cat shit……

Posted on July 20, 2012 by

Brown gold is the euphemism, but farming’s awash with shit. It’s the fuel that keeps the whole thing running or so it seems to me. I know nitrates are bad, bad things but they don’t smell as bad as pig … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital photography, Farming, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, lifestyle, Photography, photography course, Photography holiday, summer, Uncategorized, Writing | 41 Comments

I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it….

Posted on July 8, 2012 by

That’s not really true. I’m not excited so there is no question of hiding it. Excitement would be exciting if it hadn’t been devalued by the legion of radio and TV commentators who are so excited for a living. Very … Continue reading →

Posted in Baking, cake, Claire Ptak, Cooking, Digital photography, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, lemon bars, lemon bars, lemons, photography course, Photography holiday, Recipes, summer, Uncategorized, Violet Cakes, Writing | 35 Comments

Woke up, got out of bed…..

Posted on May 24, 2012 by

This morning, deliciously drugged from a deep dream filled sleep, I remained lying on the bed in the near narcoleptic state that is the magical moment that I am so loathe to let go before consciousness reintroduces me to today’s … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, Baking, Cooking, desserts, Digital photography, fireplace, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, Google, Lemon tart, lifestyle, Photography, photography course, Photography holiday, Still life, summer, swimming pool, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , | 35 Comments

“…a beakerful of the warm south”,,,or chicken pie

Posted on May 21, 2012 by

“I believe for every drop of rain that falls….” crooned Frank. The proliferation of wild flowers in the hedgerows, as well as in jugs and vases throughout the house, bears witness to the accuracy of Ole Blue Eyes’ musical weather … Continue reading →

Posted in Baking, Cooking, Digital photography, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, Photography, photography course, Photography holiday, summer, Uncategorized, Writing | 20 Comments