tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post1723351331660032299..comments2024-03-28T18:57:20.920+01:00Comments on Living the life in Saint-Aignan: Mowing and growingKen Broadhursthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-67417116114552862792016-05-18T17:33:56.695+02:002016-05-18T17:33:56.695+02:00"Oh, you're teaching your little boy to u..."Oh, you're teaching your little boy to use a lawnmower" <br />Ha! Bet no one says that any more. I think we're the only people within miles that maintain our own yard (it shows).chrissouphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00398602853402174732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-43096680904041513412016-05-18T09:29:46.030+02:002016-05-18T09:29:46.030+02:00People in France are used to these strikes and oth...People in France are used to these strikes and other disruptions. It's part of the culture, and adds some suspense and excitement to life. Going out onto the streets is always an adventure, whether you are demonstrating or trying to get somewhere.<br /><br />As for yard, in AE we have rail yards, lumber yards, courtyards, stock yards, school yards, prison yards, and navy yards, none of which are necessarily green... and we have nice green back yards and front yards. I think Australians have yards in the same sense of the word. I guess I say "mowing the yard" instead of "mowing the grass" because what we have is not strictly grass or lawn. It's more prairie land with a big variety of plants and wildflowers growing on it. And the gravel, asphalt, or paved space is called not the yard but the driveway.<br /><br />On the other hand, the BE use of "garden" can be confusing. Does it mean your flower garden? Not exactly. Your vegetable garden? No. In AE, when we say garden, we generally mean vegetable garden. Garden-grown tomatoes, for example. And that's to-MAY-toes. For us, gardens are smaller than yards, except big public gardens. Two (or three, or more) countries divided by a common language.Ken Broadhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-55508568829016102862016-05-18T08:14:23.320+02:002016-05-18T08:14:23.320+02:00We came across a demonstration of some kind in Tou...We came across a demonstration of some kind in Tours yesterday but didn't know what it was about. Maybe it was the truck drivers. I felt sorry for the people who were being turned back by police to let it all pass. I couldn't help wondering how many of them had travelled a hundred kilometres to get to an important appointment, wedding, funeral or train to Paris for the holiday of a lifetime, and would now miss it<br />The difference between American English and English English sometimes tickles me and "mowing the yard" is one expression that always does it. For me the yard has always been the area made of concrete, gravel or tarmac outside the back of the house! Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09726164724131916224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-56983789368794224652016-05-18T05:33:54.922+02:002016-05-18T05:33:54.922+02:00The yard looks wonderful, and the seedlings are ve...The yard looks wonderful, and the seedlings are very impressive. I, too, was going to suggest gloves next time you mow, if there is a next time.<br />Happily, I live where the HOA takes care of such things. Which sort of makes up for having to deal with an HOA, an organization that people love to hate.Emmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17365143273404503659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-70321792279023312252016-05-17T21:26:07.795+02:002016-05-17T21:26:07.795+02:00Blogger is free. I guess you get what you pay for....Blogger is free. I guess you get what you pay for. Wonder why Apple doesn't have a blogging application? Maybe they could make some money.Ken Broadhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-269240499609527992016-05-17T20:42:41.194+02:002016-05-17T20:42:41.194+02:00I'm wondering if Google is not more interested...I'm wondering if Google is not more interested in robot cars than maintaining blogger?chmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17765675930520613520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-24193489568562695962016-05-17T19:41:22.948+02:002016-05-17T19:41:22.948+02:00It's weird that my comment says I'm anonym...It's weird that my comment says I'm anonymous.Ken Broadhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-36429783381811847482016-05-17T19:16:24.261+02:002016-05-17T19:16:24.261+02:00Dinosaur kale is an experiment. This may be the fi...Dinosaur kale is an experiment. This may be the first and last time I grow it. As you know, I'm really partial to collard greens, though I like chard too.<br /><br />Back in SF, Walt went to Home Depot or somewhere to buy a tiny push mower to use on our handkerchief-size plot of weeds out back. "Oh, you're teaching your little boy to use a lawnmower" the sales clerk said to him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-84832951290225391472016-05-17T18:46:14.141+02:002016-05-17T18:46:14.141+02:00Sympathy on the mowing. I've mowed our hanky y...Sympathy on the mowing. I've mowed our hanky yard only a few times, when Tony was on his bike trip across the country. A kind soul loaned me an itty-bitty electric mower for the job. As for kale, I agree with DelaForge: dino kale is beloved by aphids, whitefly, and inchworms. The pests seem to stay off the Russian and curly kale. chrissouphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00398602853402174732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-2321125115143014392016-05-17T17:14:27.832+02:002016-05-17T17:14:27.832+02:00My husband loved the lawn mower ... but he was a N...My husband loved the lawn mower ... but he was a NYCity boy ... riding a lawnmower was like being in DisneyWorld lolNotes From ABroadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12202279303962539035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-21801956761460134712016-05-17T16:24:08.317+02:002016-05-17T16:24:08.317+02:00Gloves! Good thought. There are only about two doz...Gloves! Good thought. There are only about two dozen pairs of them down in the utility room. I need to get a clue.Ken Broadhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-53515952258445550602016-05-17T16:23:55.321+02:002016-05-17T16:23:55.321+02:00Pour le retour... eh bien, on verra ça demain.Pour le retour... eh bien, on verra ça demain.Ken Broadhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-30965032203245222112016-05-17T15:55:37.470+02:002016-05-17T15:55:37.470+02:00Pour le retour... eh bien, on verra ça demain.Pour le retour... eh bien, on verra ça demain.Ken Broadhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-89146166731779342412016-05-17T15:54:39.721+02:002016-05-17T15:54:39.721+02:00Walt says walking along behind the self-propelled ...Walt says walking along behind the self-propelled mower is good exercise. It's not as easy as it looks when he does it, however.Ken Broadhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-85176878452486026032016-05-17T15:51:59.013+02:002016-05-17T15:51:59.013+02:00Gloves! Good thought. There are only about two doz...Gloves! Good thought. There are only about two dozen pairs of them down in the utility room. I need to get a clue.Ken Broadhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-40050403796765673012016-05-17T15:48:55.707+02:002016-05-17T15:48:55.707+02:00This morning I was thinking that maybe we should l...This morning I was thinking that maybe we should look into buying a small riding mower. But maybe not.Ken Broadhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-85947963371214808722016-05-17T15:00:49.450+02:002016-05-17T15:00:49.450+02:00The garden looks gorgeous and when anyone looks at...The garden looks gorgeous and when anyone looks at it or comments, I would proudly announce to one and all for at least a few weeks that You Mowed That Yard, of course it looks good !! :)<br />I lived in a house in the country in NY. We had a "riding lawnmower" ... that thing scared the bejeezus out of me .. I was sure it would throw me off and chop me up. So I hired someone. It would be much more satisfying to do it yourself.Notes From ABroadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12202279303962539035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-47615501087568807072016-05-17T14:10:24.395+02:002016-05-17T14:10:24.395+02:00The yard looks beautiful. Walt will be pleased to ...The yard looks beautiful. Walt will be pleased to see it. Next time wear gloves. I need them for most yard work now- my skin used to be tougher, but it's tender now. BTW I love looking in your little green house.Evelynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17824964122794535252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-39185646664289403732016-05-17T13:16:20.806+02:002016-05-17T13:16:20.806+02:00Ken, it isn't because you are a "greenhor...Ken, it isn't because you are a "greenhorn".... <br />Our pushme-pullyou mower is the same and it gets me every time.... <br />Hate it with a vengeance!!<br />But... <br />What you've done looks neat.....Le Pré de la Forgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02396822372095610004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-89496755525219584202016-05-17T13:11:50.701+02:002016-05-17T13:11:50.701+02:00Well, your efforts are certainly paying off, with ...Well, your efforts are certainly paying off, with a lush, green, well-manicured yard :)<br />I hope Walt's return isn't too <i>perturbé</i> ;)Seine Judeet (Judith)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07407353544376132484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-49938102073859464982016-05-17T13:11:24.803+02:002016-05-17T13:11:24.803+02:00Red Russian tastes quite sweet compared with curly...Red Russian tastes quite sweet compared with curly Kale... Nero (or Dinosaur) is more like a regular kale for flavour...<br />Red Russian kale at the size Ken has at the moment is one of the new "superfoods" and is beginning to appear in winter salad selections along with rocket....the two go very well together!! Dino is the most expensive commercial cabbage family member...every leaf has to be hand picked!!<br />The greatest advantage, though, is that unlike curleykale....these two only need a light wash as dusty grit doesn't get trapped.<br />The only drawback is Dino's attractiveness to whitefly....but you are going to eat it cooked, so rinsing well in HOT water isn't a problem!! And I mean hot... Almost boiling....<br />Both varieties, cooked, are superb cold....dressed with a mix of sesame oil and light soy sauce...S&P to taste....as are Collard greens....oh, and Chard!Le Pré de la Forgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02396822372095610004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-52485453957200116902016-05-17T09:12:56.565+02:002016-05-17T09:12:56.565+02:00I'll let you know what the two kales are like,...I'll let you know what the two kales are like, how they compare, later when I harvest some. I'm not growing any regular "curly" kale this summer, just Red Russian and Dinosaur.Ken Broadhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-18619166781997263532016-05-17T09:11:39.247+02:002016-05-17T09:11:39.247+02:00I have only two neighbors who might possibly be di...I have only two neighbors who might possibly be disturbed by the noise, but neither came over to complain LOL. They must also be aware that the weather has been conducive to tall growth but not to mowing. We have that two-hour morning window in which we can do loud yard work on Sunday and holiday mornings.Ken Broadhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-46012082168841144872016-05-17T09:09:26.430+02:002016-05-17T09:09:26.430+02:00I really don't know. All bets are off. Walt sa...I really don't know. All bets are off. Walt says the 1 p.m. Paris –> Blois train is supposed to be running tomorrow, and he's going to try to get that one. If there's no RER, he can take a taxi to Austerlitz. I'll just have to stay by the phone and see what develops.Ken Broadhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18071407.post-27064131354851289542016-05-17T09:07:58.536+02:002016-05-17T09:07:58.536+02:00I'm thinking about those tomatoes too, no matt...I'm thinking about those tomatoes too, no matter how you spell the word. They are some old seeds I must have brought back from N.C. and they have sprouted and grown well.Ken Broadhursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04430899802705818716noreply@blogger.com