Saturday 23 June 2007

The Rain it raineth every day


I am seriously of the opinion that if it continues to rain with such insistence, we may well have to move to the upper storeys of the house and live on the family emergency supply of biscuits! The roses are rotting on their bushes and the wonderful crop of raspberries we had are all mildewed, and yet still it rains! I am quite aghast at the weather it is so unseasonal, I am certain even the chickens are developing webbed feet, but since it rained on the fete to St Barnaby what can one expect ?

Meanwhile Youngest has decided, bearing in mind the intemperate conditions, that he will build a boat, in case it is necessary to send Madame Grognonne out to the village in a rowing boat to retrieve provisions, and has abandoned his aeroplane altogether . Happily this new project does not appear, as yet, to require the use of any more of my art materials; however, I suspect it may be wise to lock away the best table linen should he think of incorporating it in his craft. I imagine, had the French Nuns who lovingly embroidered all our sheets and tablecloths known they were to used as sails one day, they may have incorporated nautical themes.

He has already cannibalized some old cider barrels from the barns and with the help of Loic and Jacques, both of whom have now almost completely recovered from their illnesses, (although to be fair Loic is still having trouble with rust in his knee joints) has attached them to some long abandoned oxen yokes and a disused table from the potting shed to form quite a respectable raft.

The plan is that, should the worst come to the worst, they shall install Loic’s gardening tent on top for protection and paddle down the lane to the village for help, using a broom handle to punt with. Not wishing to stifle youngest ingenuity, I have not enquired how they intend to make the return journey as it is, for at least part of the way, uphill.

Chief Patissier is quite put out by it all and has taken to sitting in my studio staring silently out of the windows, wearing a glum expression and nursing a glass of Cognac to keep his spirits up. His brooding presence is doing nothing for my creativity, although perhaps, should it continue to rain, I may immortalize him as Noah watching for his lost dove.

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The painting today is entitled Paris Street: Rainy Day, by the French artist Gustavo Caillebotte. Dare I say that, although I see evidence of many umbrellas, I see no evidence of rain as such, where I to paint my own scene of rain chez nous today it would be nothing but a dull sheet of grey striations over the lurid green of the vegetation down upon which it is lashing with brutal persistence.

11 comments:

Pondside said...

So sorry about all the rain -we have it here too. Roses rotting and foxgloves falling over onto the ground! Wishing for a little sunshine!

Blossomcottage said...

The sun has got his hat on here at this moment but I can't type too much as it will have taken if off and done a bunk by the time I finish.
Tell the Chief Patissier I think he would look delightful painted with a bird in his hand, which reminds me of a joke!
Over and out from just still dry Blossom

Blossomcottage said...

P.S. re spell check if I want to write a long comment and not sure of some of the spellings, I quickly type mine comments in Word, check it and then post it in the comments box.

Blossom x

snailbeachshepherdess said...

Well if CP is going to be Noah what will my hero end up as? probably the anchor...s'pose you'll concoct another attachment for the poor man!
Weird weather here...storms..great big fat ones ..then a bit of sun...then off we go again..pulling all the wires out as another storm drops by...
garden totally ruined...flattened!

Grouse said...

Am dispaching some crocodile-oil by carrier pigeon for Loic's knees. Very therapeutic. However, mustnt overdose for risk of growing scales..........

countrymousie said...

We have what you call indifferent weather today - talk of torrential rain but in reality its sunny.
Its Ascot week so of course it had to rain sometime. Roses have been wonderful this year - certainly not rotting - it has to improve for you surely. Remember Wimbledon coming up so we will get your soaking.
Brandy must help.

Chris Stovell said...

Ah, that painting! It could just as easily be Havefordwest today. I suspect the elegant couple in the foreground are looking for Wilko's ... it's a bit further down, dears, just past the Tattoo Studio.

Anonymous said...

The rain is becoming rather a pain isn't it! It's quite dull here in Manchester and I believe it's been raining all morning back home in Northumberland much to hubby's annoyance as he can't get the silage done.
You have very creative children.
Crystal x

Fennie said...

I got in my blog on umbrellas a couple of days ago. But I sometimes think someone ought to invent an alarm which would ring if one were to become separated from one's umbrella by more than a few feet. Only yesterday I left one behind in some government office and having passed out through the security they wouldn't let me in again and had to send someone to fetch it specially, which took forever of course.

Oh dear - no Fennie predicts the weather will improve after next week. The sun will shine and by August you will be praying for rain.

Sally Townsend said...

my dear woman, when I flew over you yesterday the weather looked frightful, even Madame Grognonne could not be seen labouring in the garden, a sure sign of worse to come

Westerwitch/Headmistress said...

Catching up - moving on . . .