Les poissons en France

Monday, March 21, 2011

A French Weekend

Our son Guy is currently on a year's Teacher Training course with a view to becoming a Primary School teacher. However, he will also be teaching them French and, as part of his course, he is spending 4 weeks in a French Primary School in Niort, in the Poitou-Charentes region (some
4h 30 m journey north)

We had planned to travel up early on Saturday morning and stay in a cheap hotel overnight. However, the couple who Guy is staying with invited us to stay with them! So, we were treated to 2 days of being wined and dined and being taken out to discover their town and surrounding countryside.




Sue took this photo of me, Guy, Kathy and Marc (in front of some 'shaggy' donkeys!)





We were at a sanctuary to conserve this local race of donkeys which have very thick fur even on their legs.

We also went to a local World Heritage church from the 11th century.






















To our amazement, in the oldest part of the church, a very modern addition had been allowed, comprising an altar and font.








We don't believe that this addition would be allowed in Britain, but we loved it.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, we continue to be bowled over at the kindness and generosity of French people!

Friday, March 18, 2011

A Funny Thing Happened...

....at the vets. Our two cats were due to have their annual injections and so, this morning we put them in their boxes and went to the vets in Gourdon. Lo and behold, we met up with a friend who was there with her cat, so the girls were in the waiting room for some time. Eventually we went into the examination room and Diana dutifully sat on the table whilst she was examined and then injected.

Then it was Cleo's turn. We know that Cleo can be unpredictable and Sue had taken a pair of gardening gloves so that she could hold her. The vet looked at Cleo's teeth but then Cleo decided that that was enough and she turned on her imitation of a wild, ferocious cat. She managed to bite Sue before she was covered by two towels but it still looked as if she would be able to get at the vet. Cleo was put back into her box, at which point she weed and pooed on the table, the floor and all down Sue!!! After a lot ofmanipulating of the box, the vet finally managed to give Cleo her injection through the door of the box, into Cleo's bum.

We'll have to see if all of this performance is going to be worth it when the injections become due again next year.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Deer - Plan Z ...Part 2

The Head Gardener has been increasingly concerned with the pyracantha shrubs which we bought back in the Autumn to create a 'deer-proof' hedge. They've been living in their pots in our 'ruin' and they were looking a bit sorry for themselves. So ..... as I am feeling a little more like getting out and doing jobs, Sue was keen to get the shrubs in the ground and yesterday seemed like a good day for it!




My part in all of this looked relatively easy .... just sitting on the digger. However, I hadn't allowed for the animated discusion on how best to dig the holes, should it be a trench, and how to ensure that the holes were in the right place. (I don't think that we disturbed the neighbours too much!)




By the time we'd sorted out what we were doing and had dug all of the holes, I was ready for a rest and so was Sue! Time to retire to the Patio.





We planned to plant up the shrubs this morning before the forecast rain arrived at mid-day. But, of course, you can't trust a weather forecast can you! It was spitting with rain when we began at 8.30 this morning and was raining quite heavily by 11.00 when we were forced to stop.




Still, only 7 more to plant as soon as we get dry weather.

Friday, March 11, 2011

How Green ......

A number of factors came together on Wednesday; the weather was fine and dry, our neighbours were arriving for a couple of weeks, and we had friends coming for lunch on Thursday. So, the gardener dercreed that the front lawn needed cutting to make everything look 'tidy'.


I've not been too inconvenienced with my chemo this week so I felt up to doing the mowing, although there's nothing too stenuous in sitting on the mower and turning the steering wheel!!!

Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Another Good Day

I had the 3rd injection of this 6th cycle yesterday, but I've been gradually feeling stronger. I did a bit of work on the barn door on Sunday, and today I managed to get to the point of having a door which we can shut.




I'm pleased because we've had a plastic sheet up at the door since about September.



Meanwhile, having changed the oil in the mower ready for the new season, the head gardener was off and away.















She had been anxious for some little while so that she could reseed the odd bare patches in the back 'lawns'.



So, a good day all round.