Never was autumn so green, thanks to regular showers until mid August, and in spite of the long dry spell that followed. Visitors included journalists from Paris, artists using landscape materials from Geneva and Paris, stonemasons, craftsmen and locals using the library or the conference room, notably Terre de liens, defenders of organic farming…https://www.terredeliens.org/
In late September, came Philippe Loisson and Marianne Lavallonnière who create and publish the magazine l’Art des jardins http://www.artdesjardins.fr/fr/ , with their friend Lucien Jedwab who writes a blog for the daily newspaper Le Monde on gardens. Their aim was to visit the Watershed Line http://www.lepartagedeseaux.fr /, the mountain art trail where various famous artists have created installations. Lucien then published his praise here: https://abonnes.lemonde.fr/cotecourscotesjardins/article/2018/09/28/dans-l-ardeche-des-uvres-a-voir-pour-mieux-lire-le-paysage_5361824_5004225.html?xtmc=partage_des_eaux&xtcr=1 Our two evenings together at Rousselonge were very convivial and led to many comparisons between Parisian and provincial perceptionsl. Marianne very kindly took some lovely really professional photos of Rousselonge, of which here is a selection:
In October during our last really glorious week of summer, a couple, both artists, one living in Paris the other in Geneva, enjoyed idyllic weather. Jean Piere Braz and Elisabeth Beurret. Her takes inspiration from the upright stones used to support vines on the outer edges of terraces. http://www.jpbrazs.com/ She makes paper from roots, then assembled in two and three dimensions http://www.elbeurret.com/. Elisabeth kindly gave met instruction in landscape drawing. Jean Pierre kindly helped rake up masses of leaves for mulch in the vegetable garden. Both made contacts with a view towards future exhibits in this region.
A sample of Jean Pierre Braz” work on the upright stones of Rousselonge…
Meanwhile, the annex, the separate building restored for multiple uses, got its finishing touches. Jean Marc first buried the pipes for drainage before the rains came:
Wim Florquin made shutters from leftover Douglas fir planks and put them on all the windows.
Wim also had to redo the flooring. The original “marmoleum” was buckling and was replaced with regular linoleum, unfortunately, but ecologically and locally produced…
Right about then, I began taking piano lessons and used the electric piano in the new room to practise on…
Out in front, the little amaranth seed that chose to sprout in the most dry compacted soil continued to flourish until sudden snow late October damaged its spirtis but did not prevent it from going to seed.
The snow only lasted a morning but was beautiful.
In November, the stonemasons returned, the ones who made the lovely cobbled paving on the east side of the house, Ivan Delahaye and Anne-Lise Blaise of the itinerant school for drystone building (ELIPS http://www.elipsecoledelapierreseche.com). Knowing they were expected, Elisabeth and Jean-Pierre left them some mini-sculptures, these small assemblages that many residents redo as they get knocked down by wind or cats…
Suddenly, one Friday, steady heavy rain took down three walls on the hillside. Luckily Yvan arrived soon after and rebuilt the one nearest the house in two and a half days!
tools made from old tires, brought back from Minorca, to haul earth… 
Little Isa comes to inspect… Yvan also found time to weed the calade (paved path he made last year) along the side of the residence…
but a friendly mole decided to help…
Philippe Forget, artistic director of the music festival of Labeaume, http://www.labeaume-festival.org regularly spends a few days a month here, sometimes with his companion Hugues or his collaborator Marie Christine Target director of the Orphéon womens’ choir in Lyons which Philippe conducts. They gave a wonderful concert in the church of Labeaume in November. In December, PHilippe returned for a meeting with David Moinard, art director for the Partage des Eaux and the Sentier des Lauzes, over dinner at Rousselonge, to discuss possible collaboration between the two networks. Present also were their indispensable and lively assistants Julie Glotz-Terrier for the Sentier and Sophie Scellier for the music festival. It was a very stimulating meeting.
In spite of all the heavy rains, both the heather and the fall colors were vibrant this year…
while the lower hillside, lightly maintained, remains a mixture of mystery and revelation, in subtle greens, beige and greys…
