The last day before vacation in Paris means slim-pickings'. In grocery stores and restaurants, everything is sold out or thrown away before the big shut down for August.  We have the last of the salami and andouillete from the Petit Lux; we'll be eating fondant chocolate and baba au rhum for breakfast for a week.  It's OK with us.

We're babysitting Nestor and Katja, Olivier's two lovebirds, for four days.  They are rainbow-colored, with black eyes outlined in white.  They sit on their swing, eating seeds and sleeping.  They call out to birds that fly by.  Olivier is diving in the south of France.

There are movies being shown outside at night, we're hoping to see.  The "Paris-plage" features free movies on Monday nights, and the Arab Institute shows movies every other night of the week.  I am anticipating painting at the fair that runs through August in the Tuileries.

We've been eating at a sidewalk restaurant down the street.  Last night I had a salad with grapefruit and shrimp, crab and avocado.  We drink gin and tonic at our place, beforehand.

The roads will be jam-packed with vacationers headed out to spend time with their families in rural France.  Paris will be empty.  I look forward to that, when I can play in the street.

We went out to Parc de Sceaux yesterday with friends who have a car.  We walked through the woods, traversing the canals and admiring the fountains.  A family of young swans were there, and the "ducklings" were appropriately "ugly".   We snuck snippets of aromatic plants into our pockets to plant in the courtyard.

The birds have been singing wildly this sunny summer day.  I put a full length mirror beside their cage which makes them think they have guests.  I treat all four of them to bits of watermelon and limes.   I am thinking about breaking out the cocktail peanuts.

We've had lots of friends and acquaintances stop by this week, and Paris gives us the sense we're always on vacation.

Laurie (painting and text) and Blair PESSEMIER
"Lovebirds"  acrylic on panel  11 x 14"