Lake Marie

August is the holiday month in France. But there's no lazing around on sunny beaches sipping pina coladas for neighbour Christian though. Instead, he spends the month log cutting, stacking and delivering to local villagers as we prepare for yet another freezing winter. Georgie and I have had four trailerfulls (or is it five?) of logs delivered so we've been busy stacking in, and to the side of, the garage. And it's hot work too, especially in the mid-day sun. When you're standing there wearing a soaking wet teeshirt with sweat dripping into your eyes, the temptation is to down gloves, go indoors and have a cool drink and shower, but that's not on; the trailer has to be emptied so Christian can collect it in the evening, refill it and deliver it back at sparrow's fart the following morning.

There was a day last week (Thursday?) that was particularly sunny and hot. A great day for going for a swim. But we couldn't because, yes you've guessed, another trailerfull had been delivered. So we spent the day stacking. Cleared the last log from the trailer at around 5.30pm, then collapsed in the kitchen, exhausted. The sun was still fairly high in the cloudless sky, so, after a quick drink and wash, we decided to drive to Lake Marie for a well-earned evening dip.

Lake Marie isn't its real name, but I call it that after the song 'Lake Marie' by John Prine (Google: John Prine Lake Marie and a YouTube version should come up). It's a great song and an interesting story. Well worth an ear'oling. In the song there are two twin lakes: Lake Elizabeth (the larger, prettier one) and Lake Marie (the smaller, hidden one). To me, these are mirrored by two local lakes that are fairly close together: Lac Vassivière (a large lake that's quite famous and very popular, but not exactly pretty) and Lac Somethingorother (the smaller, hidden one), hence Lake Marie. So there you go. Now you know.

Anyways..., we arrived at the lake and all was calm. Bright sunlight and still not a cloud in the sky. Ambled along the lakeside path towards our favourite little beach hoping that no-one was there. Luckily we had the place to ourselves. I suppose, by early evening, the few people that visit this spot had packed up and gone home. Can't beat an evening swim. And that evening it was absolutely perfect. Took a few snaps to look back on in the depths of winter when it's cold and dismal, just to remind ourselves of what was possibly the best evening of the summer.

Thanks Lake Marie.