Ramblin' Rose

Another old photo, found at the bottom of an over stuffed drawer. Funny how one finds one thing when you are looking for something else. This photo was taken nineteen years ago this month, the day we took possession of our little French cottage. The house has no garden, only a small area for planting just before the house meets the road. But there, in almost no soil, sprang the most magnificent red rose. It was this wild & rambling rose, which, like the house, had been neglected for years, that truly won my heart. Over time it has taken many transformations. We had the house repointed & at the same time the rose was severely pruned back. It was good for the rose we were told. Now & more years later it flourishes again. Beautifully. It is an early bloomer, however, flowering only from May through June. Sadly my plans never line up so that I am in France for those early months. I usually arrive in July, too late to see the velvety red blossoms. My neighbors all tell me how beautiful my rose was & some have even taken photos for me. But every year I long to be there & see it for myself. This year all of the same obstacles keep cropping up. But, this year I am determined to see my ramblin' rose.