For me, the number of posts on my blog are in direct correlation with my state of mind. If I'm happy, I blog a lot, if things aren't going so well, I tend to want to avoid it all together! Since I'm a person that wears my heart on my sleeve and has a tendency to be very honest, too honest sometimes, and tell all, when I'm not at my best, I tend to shy away, to hide here in my little little corner of Provence.
Things here have been challenging lately to say the least. It seems that at every turn something goes wrong, despite our best efforts to do the right thing. First there was the mildew, then our tractor broke down, then the sprayer got all clogged up and it took forever to clean it! We had to borrow a neighbor's tractor to spray, which was a new experience driving a different tractor! I loved the power steering but the 4 wheel drive was a bit too powerful for my taste... The tractor repair man said that it would cost more to repair the tractor than it was worth, but that we could keep using it until it finally dies... My poor tractor! I don't really want to get a new one, but I guess it's inevitable. Since then the tractor seems to be running alright, so we're going to keep on keepin' on and it will hopefully last through the season. We hadn't really budgeted for a tractor, so maybe I'll start a tractor fund!? Anyone want to contribute? (hahaha)
After all this, last week I was up at the crack of dawn to go spray, got everything there and ready, went to start filling the sprayer and was closing the drain valve when it came off in my hand. Ugh. How can we be so unlucky? Now I have to drive an hour and a half to go get a replacement part because our sprayer is not just any run-of-the-mill locally made sprayer, but one Matt found that is made in Italy and the distributor is all the way up by Montelimar. As if I had nothing better to do with my day. Luckily they had the part and didn't have to call Italy to get it, so I was back in business that evening, ended up spraying until afterdark which is a challenge given that our tractor's headlights don't work! What made it even worse was that Manu Chao was playing that night at the Pont du Gard, and I could hear it!! I had tried to get tickets but it was sold out, talk about rubbing salt in a wound!
Anyway, things aren't all that bad, they're in full wheat harvest here, the blackberries are in bloom and when I came around the corner while walking Daisy the other morning this was the view I had. I said to myself: oh, right, I live in Provence.
I can't imagine anyone not smiling inside and out when standing in front field of sunflowers!
I love the sunflowers, and am SERIOUSLY bummed that we missed our France trip this year. I love the wheat fields, sunflowers, and vines so much! OH and if I had a place like Provence to hide in I would probably disappear from time to time too! :)
Posted by: ryan | July 15, 2008 at 11:39 AM