After only 10 or so hours hard labour, I've managed to put this slide show together !

Since I arrived in France I've been doing "nordic walking" once a week. http://walking.about.com/od/nordicwalking/ss/nordicwalking.htm

There are usually 10 or so of us...all french cept hubby and I, lead by an extremely enthusiastic french intructrice clad in very tight lycra, which on her looks quite flattering, in fact the male member ship is on the up and up!

She leads us on 1 1/2 hr walks around the countryside , bracketed by total body stretching regime in the teeny departure villages, hail, rain or in this case snow.

It's a serious work out, great fun and the scenery is glorious.

Weakly Walking

Photobucket Album

First Day on the Pistes

First Snow-Angel

First Winter Sports Injury...nearly took his momma + sister out with him!

Who's the Kid?

I'm Gonna Get You!

Princess Briefly Endured the "Fun"

Well we loaded up our toboggans (€2 each in the vide grenier (car boot sale)) and headed for the hills this afternoon. Headed up to one of the near-by ski stations and were not surprised to find snow, but shocked to see a slope open...although we couldn't figure out how all those skiiers were getting up there, as none of the lifts appeared to be open.

Hubby guffawed at my suggestion that they might have walked!!!

Princess was feeling a little princessy, so only wanted the minimum of contact with the cold white stuff. But hubby, the dog and sonny boy had a ball.

Here's the evidence...jees I really have to figure out this formatting thing...this is NOT how I wanted the photos to post...grrr. Where is that brother-in-law of mine when I need him.

Bloody sister still hasn't read the damn thing obviously!!!!!!!!Double grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Photos

Sitting having coffee in town when a gendarme (police) comes in enquiring about an illegally parked motor-bike...shortly after these guys show up...a little overreaction to some illegal parking I thought!

Apparently, the french army send their lads here to do their winter/mountain training.

Nice plus-fours huh?

Cycling in the woods collecting cones.

I volunteered to help sonny boy's class (28 five yr olds) walk to town through the woods (about 2 km) . En route teacher explained about the different berries we passed and encouraged the kids to try them! (including these ones and rosehips.)

We had a picnic,

Played in the playground for an hour,

Went to the library for a tour for an hour,

Walked to the pool for a swimming lesson for an hour

Walked the 2 km back to school.

No wonder french kids aren't fat!!

My kids cycling the actual Tour-De-France route for 2009.

Yes that's a ski helmet on princess's head and yes, I am too tight to buy her a bicycle helmet as well!

The kids cycled all the way into town (2km) and most of the way back before little princess ran out of steam. Luckily our neighbour passed at that point and mercifully threw us in the back of her van!

Fog is quite a common feature round these parts, very beautiful in the right light.

Sonny boy enjoying the first snow!

Bloggers Block

Dear Blog

Sorry I haven't been paying ya no heed recently, its not that life ain't been exciting, no siree, crazy here on Walton's Mountain.

Nope, had a bad dose of blogger's block..quite painful but with the right rub one can sit at the keyboard with minimal discomfort.

One symptom of my blogger's block has been technological.

I want to post a video of the demontagnee des vache (descent of the cows) Beats me! Thing keeps loading and never actually loads. Its small enough size wise.

I also have a great recording of cowbells...that I took on my mobile, as a herd of cows passed the car. Its a really magical sound in real life, a bit tinny on the recording, but if I get my IT support on-side you can judge for yourselves.

Sis, if you're reading, can you ask that husband of yours to help me!? 'Course your the IT expert so maybe you can help??

What with the "crise" (big financial slurry heap) going on and hubby being unemployed (well I guess we're both half unemployed since we're now sharing my former unpaid-but-pretigious Stay-At-Home-Parent position) I got to making curtains for the kids room...had to sew by hand!

Clearly forgot the maxim:

Measure twice-Cut once!

Mamma Walton was cussing some when she hung this baby:(

Honeymoon is over.........

Like all new experiences and new lovers the initial elation fades after a while.
That "while" seems to be 2 months for me.
I guess its partially because the last of our visitors left yesterday...miss you already.
The weather has taken a nosedive,
the kids are off school,
hubby is heading home tomorrow.
My french language exchanger friend has ditched me.
My volunteering stint with the school is finished up.

So what to do....eat, seems to be my current response.
But no I WILL pick myself up out of this fuge state.

I WILL invite some of the girls for dinner.
I WILL join the doggy obedience group on saturdays (what to do with kids...basement? ;)
I WILL renew my friday morning walking group.
I WILL I WILL..........