Too soon?

We think that, after the mild winter (so far?) Spring is arriving about 2 weeks earlier this year.  We've already shown you the spring bulbs in flower but now the birds are beginning to get busy.  A pair of Magpies are 'spring cleaning' the nest which was used last year.

We also have had a Kestrel roosting around the house all winter and 'he' has now taken to perching on the barn roof, as if waiting.  Yesterday I saw him joined by a second but 'she' flew away before I could get the camera!

And then, last night about 9pm ... pitch black we began to hear bird cries ... Cranes migrating north!

Looks like we've got to get cracking in the garden!!!!

You never know what's round the corner.

Yesterday, carefree, we set off to enjoy the regular monthly meeting of our garden club. We were to meet at the house of a member who was a garden designer and we were both keen to hear what she had to say. However we never reached the meeting. En route we encountered another car on a sharp bend which was unfortunately on our side of the road and the photo below shows the result. We can safely say that we were in the back of beyond, although we were amazed that about a dozen cars passed us during the time we were stuck there and most people offered to help.

I take my hat off to John who managed to locate a recovery truck, inform our insurance company and fill in an accident report form at the scene, all in French naturally.  We were not hurt fortunately just jolly inconvenienced.

When the recovery truck arrived it only had one passenger seat so we telephoned our neighbours to ask them to pick us up. We thought that they were at home but they were actually shopping in Cahors, but they still came to collect us. When we got home we telephoned the garage that we understood was to receive our car, only to be told that they no longer undertake such repairs. So hunt the car, no one seemed to know where it was.

Eventually we located the car and much to our horror found out that our insurance did not cover the hire of another vehicle. Gradually the realisation that we were likely to be isolated for about a month without a car began to sink in. We only use the car two or three times a  week so it seemed ridiculous to pay for a hire car to sit in the drive most of the week. We have never been in this position before as in the past garages have always supplied us with a courtesy car. I found this vulnerability very difficult to deal with. However within no time two sets of friends offered us the use of their second car. So we are eternally grateful to JJ and Nadine, our neighbours, who have chauffeured us around today and given us use of their car until we are independent again.

It is wonderful to have good friends when the chips are down.