Happy Walk Series France: Le Sentier de l'écluse
3:37 PM
"In every walk in nature, one receives more than he seeks." - John Muir. Walking heals the soul. As we all know it, it's cheaper than therapy. This is what got me started on the Happy Walk Series. Life is not perfect and much as we radiate perfect bliss on social media, more often than not, it's not always what it seems. On the contrary, this is when nature, for me, steps in. A reminder that a Higher Power, Someone in control, beyond our own effort and knowledge did create such magnificence. With the reassurance of every tree caressed by the wind, He can transform my life, my unknown future into something "meaning"-ful and yes, magnificent.
The sandy circuit of Le Sentier de l'écluse is 5.3 km long. Guess what?
Planting Tomatoes
6:24 AM
Before we begin, this post chronicles my days spent at my father-in-laws' garden in France as I learn first-hand from an expert like he is, tips and techniques how he does it. Guess what? He planted this tomato babies in less than 15 minutes. Ok, I'm definitely not a green thumb! I was that type of gal who wouldn't plunge her little fingers in dirt for fear that an affectionate slug will wrap itself around her finger. Yet, when I started pulling out grass to help maintain another garden (my sister-in-law's), the obsessive maniac in me couldn't stop and fearlessly dug my hands in to pull out weeds. Since then, I help out maintaining the garden. Though we grew tomatoes year after year in our own small backyard garden in Dubai, I still wanted to learn, so that I can take this knowledge and experience with me when we move to the Philippines.
Happy Walk Series France: A Sandy Hike
8:15 PM
Today, we will explore a longer walk and a more difficult one. This circuit is called "Les Bourbes" that starts at Aire de La Tantouille. It is a 6.3 km walk with inclined paths and lots of it are sand. It was not very easy with a stroller but it is definitely a good leg workout. The positives points of this circuit are the possibilities to explore a forest, a beach and a swamp and the tranquility you'll get from the absence of bikes.
Create Your Own Green Roof Garden
12:39 AM
I visited my brother-in-law recently and he showed us his own green roof which he installed on top of the concrete slab roof of his storage room. I had to climb the ladder to get a closer look. I wondered for a moment if it had those automatic sprinklers, but guess what, it doesn't. It does however has water at one corner from a condensation pipe from his air conditioning. Apparently, this water along with occasional rain is enough to sustain this small garden. Hence, this is a low maintenance green roof and we excitedly discussed how he constructed this. I couldn't wait to share it here on the blog.