Potpourri . . .

My American Heritage Dictionary says that "Potpourri" means : 1. A combination of various incongrous elements. 2. A fragrant mixture of dried flower petals and spices.
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It is true, when the word "potpourri" commes to mind, I tend to think of a sweet smelling bowl of flowers giving off a warm, rich perfume to scent a room. But did you know the word is from the french "pot" = pot, and "pourri" = rotten, so thus, a rotten pot or a rotten can ? . . . My French dictionary informs me that "potpourri" is a kind of stew composed of various meats and vegetables, and that the word has been in use since the late 1500's. A way to save rotten meat by cooking it up in a stew I guess . . . "Potpourri" sounds like a good name for a blog. I'll bet there already are a blog or two with that name. The French dictionnary also says a "potpourri" may be a literary work assembled from various pieces in no particular order and with no connection between them. Sounds like what I'm doing here.
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So, in no particular order . . .
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A few posts down we were back on the subject of public toilets in France, as to whether there were any. While visiting the Douaumont Fort at the Verdun battlefield last week, I came across this gem of a toilet facility dating from 1917, which might in cruder terms be known as a "shit can" (excuse my French !), which is another possible translation for "pot pourri" . . . And if they don't hurry up and put some rust remover on this, it is going to disentegrate entirely . . .
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Now, all kidding aside, to change gears, one of the very first blogs I discovered and began following regularly about a year ago is Henk Van Es's "Outsider Environments Europe", which is all about outsider art all over Europe, as the title implies. And I'd just like to encourage you all to take a look at Henk's blog, he is digging up information god only knows how about site after fascinating site where art has been created out of doors in all sorts of contexts. His research is meticulous, it is always a pleasure for me when I see a new post is up at O.E.E. And when I saw this cow outside near Verdun, made out of a large metal can, I couldn't help but think of Henk and utter a friendly Mooooooo ! . . . (sorry, it's not the greatest photo I ever made, but there was a large barking dog preventing me from coming closer, so I took this from the car window in a hurry . . .)
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While continuing to wander in the countryside northwest of Verdun, I stumbled on a key to the universe. In all likelihood, I think this may be one of the original machines that God used when He created the planet Earth, and the Sun and the Moon, and the rest of the solar system . . .
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On a door to an abandoned barn structure adjacent to an abandoned house, all under one roof, there was a sign announcing "Machines à Traire", or "Milking Machines" ! Now I'm sure this is going to bring on a series of raucous and dubious jokes that all start with a line like, "Did you hear about the farmer that . . .", but finding old enamel signs like this in situ is a real pleasure for a guy like me . . . The machine pictured on the sign looks a bit like R2D2 (the octopus version), and I love the outline of a map of France with the radiating red stripes like the flag of imperial Japan . . . priceless !
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The front door had definitely seen better days . . .
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You can just make out the milking machine sign in the middle of the white door . . . I don't know how I find these places, it is a mystery to me . . .
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