Just Droning about SW France - The Local Buzz

Just Droning about SW France is a tongue in cheek look at Jet Spraying from the editor. From dull winter hues to bright and shiny, ready for summer.

Am I the only one whose dogs hate the hose? I have never used it on them in in cold temperatures but, now that the sun is shining and they are finding ever more “luscious” aromatic things to roll in, they need a hose down every now and again and that always poses a problem.

Mind you, everything has needed a hose down to bring it back to pristine condition after winter. My handy yellow power spray has been great this year removing bird poo, moss, cobwebs from furniture, patios, garden pots and ornaments and, oh yes, it also removes paint. My balcony now needs a touch up but, hey, it’s no longer growing lichen!

Then there’s the pool terrace. It was black in places where berries and leaves had been left over winter (I know, I know) but it’s now back to its original cream stone. A mixture of chlorine and water did the trick in the worst places but my whirly gig attachment and its circular motion did the rest. To clean the underside of the margells I had to walk around in the pool and, as I don’t have a wet suit, that had to wait a while.

As a competitive swimmer in my younger days I can remember the officials chipping ice from around the water’s edge before one open-air competition. There was no etiquette where we all waited in the water for everyone to finish. It was touch the side and out in one swift movement! I think a couple of personal bests were recorded that day too! Never mind Just Droning about SW France, I nearly drowned in Hastings!

Nowadays, unlike my cocktails and white wine, I like my pool warm.

Have you ever noticed that the surface layer, where the duck thermometer or whatever you have floats about, lulls you into a false sense of security? No sooner are you in, than you realise that, actually, from about half a metre down it’s still pretty cold so you have to thrash about, mixing up the levels so you don’t have freezing feet. Either that or you just float, with your duck, in the top few inches too.

Going back to my dogs and hoses, I experienced a minor miracle during all this fun-filled jet spraying extravaganza when I realised that both my dogs were stood in the sunshine, enjoying the fine mist (and rainbow effect) that came from the spray as it hit the ground. That set me wondering and, as one of them had just indulged in something that smelt disgusting I thought I would experiment. So I called her over, sat her down, turned the jet spray to the very lowest setting and sprayed her. I expected her to jump up and run but no, she was almost smiling, sitting there literally soaking it all in. Then I realised, it was having a massaging effect whilst cleaning her off!

I’ve found another use for it and may well attach it to a warm indoor tap in the winter for them – how great is that! Just droning in SW France – not at all!

See you next time …

First published in the July/August issue of The Local Buzz

Images: Shutterstock