28 January 2016

Buzzard

In a previous post there is a picture of Bernie the Buzzard, the dark gray backed one. 

Now here is Bernina the Buzzard, she is much paler and has quite a pale under-body. 

She was sitting on a pile of rocks in the field behind us and I got some lovely photos













Good night from us all here at Le Vay 

24 January 2016

Mist and snowdrops

Today started out very misty


and it has taken all day for it to burn off, but the sun is shining now at 16:32 in the afternoon. 

I have just read all morning and now finished my novel "Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop" by Jenny Colgan. A great light read. 

Then had a lovely wander around the land taking photos of what is up and about. 

Snowdrops with drops of rain






























Archie among the snowdrops smelling something on the breeze












Purple Sprouting Broccoli, nearly ready for eating






23 January 2016

Birds at Le Vay

Eleventh January 2016

As the snow lay on the ground we were able to see with ease some of the bird life here. 

Karen the Kestrel was hanging around and watching for food under the snow. Here she is on the boundary fence with Eliane.





Then she would drop down into the snow looking for food.


















However it only ever looked to me like she was eating snow.... look carefully !!
























Then she would shelter from the whistling wind basking in the sun up on the edge of the old stones in the broken down barn.

As we watched she left her mark!



You can see her orange feet in this one.



And went about hunting,  using the electricity pole as her look out post.



My new camera is excellent at taking some of these long distance shots. I have a Nikon Coolpix P900 well worth the money. 


Later we saw  Bernie the Buzzard on the same pole, though the light was not so good.


And a Thrush in the tops of the Hazel bushes.




 So not all the birds have been eaten by the French! 

PS Sorry for the comments not correctly against the photos.... still learning howto adjust them. But I thought it would be best to post anyway. 





13 January 2016

Sunrise

Arise, 
Shine, 
for your light has come, 
and the glory of the Lord 
rises upon you.




Isaiah 60:1

10 January 2016

Sunday's word

Today we went to a new small church in Larchamp. 
The singing and the word were in French so I only understood a few words - those bible verses that were used. 

These ones stood out to me today:

Luke 14:33
So you cannot become my disciples without giving up everything you own. 

Matthew 6:33 
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 

Psalm 127:2
It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat; 
for God gives rest to his loved ones. 



All we like sheep have gone astray - Handel's Messiah


08 January 2016

Fungi

Fantastic fungi

Growing on wood and other rotting material

Stereum hirsutum

Sulfur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare)

Turkey Tail


07 January 2016

Waking up on the first day


This morning was damp, windy and cold. The sun shone through breaks in the cloud and the clouds bounded along in the sky. 


Young Archie 


Update on our adventures (2)

During this 2015 we have been on quite a journey.
I went on "Dare to Dream": an interactive course which helped me discover and fulfill more of God's dream for my life, allowing plenty of space for reflection and listening to God which has enabled me to give voice to my deepest desires, to listen more closely to His "still small voice" within me, to be inspired by the lives of others and to take concrete steps towards achieving my revealed goals. 

Also Roger and I joined Richard and Kathy Pitt at Aldermoor Farm and together we formed a new Connect Group (house group). We have met and shared life's journey with some lovely people; the group growing from four to seven members.

We have been on holiday to Wales in early June with Roger's brother John; helped out at Le Vay, Maisoncelles La Jourdan, France in July; to Ireland on a Mission trip to Kilorglin, Co Kerry with 5 other people from church and to Gibraltar to see my old school friend and her family.

I left the University of Southampton in June and had 3 months not working in the summer and started a new job at Fareshare in September.
The 23rd December was the last day at work for us both. We plan to spend up to a year in France at LeVay, the house that our Church owns. It's a 7 bed-roomed farmhouse, with 3 acres and animals etc and guests throughout the year. We will be living in community with another Michael & Amanda and journeying together. 
So now we are off to France on the overnight ferry on Tuesday 5th January 2016. 
We have let out our house for the long term covering our mortgage and house expenses.
Meanwhile since we made our decision to help out there, the church has decided to sell the house with the last booking for people to stay being early August. So we will be returning to England to we don't know where or what to..... exciting ....homeless and jobless.
Our address in France will be:
Le Vay, 
14500 MAISONCELLES LA JOURDAN, 
France. 

Tel: 02 31 68 90 93.