The Summer of So Much

A chapter ends. A chapter with an arched eyebrow – enough rich desserts for awhile.  These past months, one wave after another, richness after richness.

Julien and Carol, Wedding Day, a moment in the Vineyard
Julien and Carol, Wedding Day

How often I wanted to shout, hey stop there just a second.  When will we savour and assimilate?  I need to pause and capture before the next wave comes.  But the best you can do is try to let go, so you’re supple enough to take it all in.

Letting go.  Letting go of the illusion of permanence.  Trying to let go of the illusion of control.  Trying to balance between willful action to create our landscape and our lives, and the sneaking suspicion that we’re a small part of a big picture, swimmers swept along by some divine current that is powerful beyond our understanding.

A dazed sensation at end of summer, like walking a beach strewn with the vanishing mementos of a long and excellent party.

Carol and Julien, petals of joy
Carol and Julien, petals of joy

 

At the very same time, we’re surrounded by other riches and scurried by an imperative to preserve – literally – the fruits of new harvests.  Every day, an incoming embarrassment of figs, apples, peaches, pears, tomatoes, kale, chicory… and no time to waste.

basket of kale, chicory, tomatoes, just picked for dinner
basket of kale, chicory, tomatoes, just picked

 

For most people, a few fresh figs is an exotic experience – they’re not the same after transport or preservation.  To do them justice we eat them off the trees, rejoice in their sweet flesh during a morning walk before breakfast, bring back a basket for the others.

basket of wild white figs
basket of wild white figs

 

ready to pop in your mouth
just off the tree

 

Figs remind me of the futility of trying to freeze this banquet time.   Futile, but I’m doing it anyway,  because I’m thinking of Thornton Wilder’s Emily who asked, “Does anyone ever really appreciate life while they are living it?”  Emily, who understands, only after she has gone to her grave.

ephemeral artichoke flower
ephemeral artichoke flower

 

Anyway, with this I let go.  For yet another banquet wave is building and I’m up in the vineyard and John’s in the winery.  Harvests and wine-making 2016 begin this week.

La Tourbeille vineyard, ready to harvest, Sept 2016
La Tourbeille vineyard, ready to harvest, September 2016

 

 

 

 

 

*        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *        *

Chronicle of “The Summer of So Much”

 

So much was the excitement of the first time:

Planning and planting several gardens from seed, using permaculture principles (vegetables, flowers and the beginning of a medicinal garden) and testing the waters for sales in 2017.

inspecting-the-rouliere-gardens-after-first-planting
Inspecting the Rouliere Gardens after first plantings
Henri in newly planted medicinal garden
Henri in newly planted medicinal garden

 

Sunflowers in the Rouliere Gardens, amidst the vegetables
Sunflowers in the Rouliere Gardens, amidst the vegetables

 

Julien’s first Birthday at Petit Roque, (Henri’s hand made gift – a crown from willow branches.)

Henri makes a crown of willow branches for Julien's First Birthday at Petit Roque,
Henri makes a crown of willow branches for Julien’s First Birthday at Petit Roque,

 

Then we bought a restaurant!

Day One at the Taverne. The Works Begins
Day One at the Taverne. The Work Begins.

The old Belvedere is perched on the edge of our land with an amazing view of the Dordogne river.  Lots of paperwork and lawyers followed by lots of elbow grease – to remove the old and install the new. The idea is to create a cozy “Taverne” where people can relax, socialize, drink wine or artisanal beer, and enjoy tapas and desserts made from home grown vegetables and fruits. Henri, Carol and Julien treated us to an evening of their experiments in tapas dishes (Carol even replicated her grandmother’s wonderful recipe!)

Carol, Julien, Henri prepare the First Taverne Dinner
Carol, Julien, Henri prepare the First Taverne Dinner
First Tapas Experiments, all from our gardens
First Tapas Experiments, mostly ingredients from  our gardens
Carol's secret recipe!
Carol’s secret family recipe
First Dinner at the Taverne
First Dinner

And after tearing down decades of rubbish, what a view!

After clearing decades of rubbish, an incredible view from the Taverne at dinner
After clearing the rubbish, an incredible view from the Taverne at dinner

 

Genevieve’s Birthday.   Another hand made gift from Henri.

Genevieve's Birthday, Henri's Home made Gift
Genevieve’s Birthday, Henri’s Home made Gift

 

“Vin d’Honnneur.”    80 of our neighbors and local friends gathered to celebrate Carol and Julien’s arrival in the community.   Flowers and more flowers!

Vin d'Honneur, presenting Carol and Julien to the community
Vin d’Honneur, presenting Carol and Julien to the community

 

The Fete du Village.   Once again we presented our wine at the village summer party and had a chance to catch up with our neighbor’s stories.

Fete du Village, our family, our wine and our neighbors
Fete du Village, our family, our wine and our neighbors

 

Agriculture school.   The boys applied to government programs for certification to run the vineyard, the orchards and vegetable plantations.  It will mean several months of studying by day and working on the Taverne renovation by night.

agriculture-school-so-much-to-learn
So much to learn!

 

Learning from Neighbors.   Jean and Micheline, 93 years old and a fount of old school information about honeybees, medicinal plants, fruit trees….  (Arthritis? Just rub some stinging nettles on your knee. Seriously.)

Henri learns about honeybees from Jean and Micheline, 93 years old
Henri learns about honeybees from Jean and Micheline, 93 years old

 

Preparing for the Big Event.   Days of construction, landscaping, planting, painting…

Carol's new sign for Petit Roque
Carol’s new sign for Petit Roque

Including the design and construction of 2 “Toilettes Seches.” In some parts of the world, people are scandalized by the use of clean drinking water to flush a toilet. What better occasion than a home wedding to make your own ecological toilets? (And they smell sweet from nice clean sawdust!)

Toilettes seches in progress
Toilettes seches in progress
Toilets on Wedding Day
Toilets on Wedding Day

 

The Music Festival.    We help the Chamber Orchestra of Gironde put on world class concerts in beautiful, local, usually Romaneque churches.  The tiny, village church of Coubeyrac at night was magic.

working for the summer music festival, Concert in the tiny Romanesque village of Coubeyrac
working for the summer music festival, concert in the tiny Romanesque village of Coubeyrac

 

Wedding Preparations.   Carol’s family arrived like an army to help with everything, from construction to flower arrangements.   One day I found them returned from a nursery laden with 20 flowering bushes. They planted them all, led by her 75 year-old grandparents.

Carol's family prepares the wedding arrangements - with wildflowers from our prairies
Carol’s family prepares the wedding arrangements – with wildflowers from our prairies

Flowers.   We sowed wild flowers in a newly ploughed field last May in the desperate hope to dress the wedding tables. At 8 am the morning of the wedding the ladies went cutting – Carol’s grandmother, aunts and Geneviève.  Masses and masses of pink flowers!

Flower arrangements for the wedding from our prairies
Flower arrangements for the wedding from our prairies

 

Julien with Henri and Genevieve just before the long walk down the aisle
Julien with Henri and Genevieve, just before the long walk down the aisle

 

The Music Begins.

carol-and-her-father

 

The ceremony

 

 

Just Married. A walk in the vineyard

 

Jumping for Joy
Jumping for Joy

 

 

 

 

And favors for our guests – a special wedding vintage of La Tourbeille…

Wedding Favors, a special vintage of La Tourbeille
Wedding Favors, a special vintage of La Tourbeille for our guests

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