Spring once again

Golden hazel catkins in the orchard

The change in the weather from winter to spring makes me very happy, so imagine my delight when this week all the signs of spring I eagerly look out for seem to have come at once. 

The wind and rain of last week have become frosty mornings that have given way to blue sky and warm sunshine, meaning wash load after wash load, day after day, have dried outside. This along with my super new washing machine, (who knew they had become so big, so fast and so quiet in the last 14 years) means I finally cleared the heap of non-essentials that have been festering in the laundry room since autumn. 

This week the goose, the ducks and the chickens have all started laying again, which for birds who are past their prime, (Brucie the goose will be ten this spring), is more than I could have expected at the first sign of warmer weather. Now I am flush with eggs once more, I’ve made my first quiche that I enjoyed with salad, on a little bistro table that I dusted off and set up outside the kitchen door.

The orchard is also coming to life; the hazel catkins are dangling like gold in the sun and the wild orchids are pushing through the grass. The first daffodils have ripe buds that will be in flower very soon and our resident Little Owls are busy (and noisy) day and night, preparing for the breeding season, I assume. Every trip out there reminds me of the work that needs tackling now the earth is warming up.

From a dog walk

Whenever I am outside, in the garden, walking the dog or out on my bike, my eyes are drawn up to the sky and my ears are listening for unmistakable sound of the migrating cranes. Yesterday, although not close enough to photograph, I heard and then spotted my first V of birds heading north, a sure sign spring really will be here soon.

Open skies on a bike ride

There is energy and new life to be felt everywhere making me feel more alive and that I must get out and enjoy it. I have now completed 300kms of my 2019kms cycling challenge, including 50kms this week out by myself. This might not seem like much, but to me it is a huge achievement. Not since 2014, when my epilepsy came back to kick me in the teeth, have I got on my bike without Adrian by my side (or rather somewhere out in front, but with me none the less). I’m not taking unnecessary risks, but I'm becoming bolder and refuse to let it beat me. 

Planning - cycling the canal de la Garonne

We are also busy planning (and training for) the first of our 2019 adventures that will not only give me an overnight stop in Bordeaux, something I have wanted for a long time, but also another cycling touring holiday and at last, my first visit to the city of Toulouse. I can’t wait, but I do hope the weather will be kind to us as everything seems so much easier to cope with if served with a generous helping of sunshine.

A Parliament of owls

Long eared owl

Our orchard has always been one of the most magical parts of our life in France. From the very first time I saw it, with the waist high grass trying to hide it’s treasures, to today, eleven and a half years later, I love it and the bounties it gives. The beauty of the blossom on the fruit trees, the harvests of cherries, plums, pears, apples, peaches, quince, hazelnuts and walnuts, the sturdy low branches Ed has enjoyed climbing and also the surprises it keeps on giving us.

I have been keeping ducks since 2005 and the reason I do is because of a surprise from the orchard; a lone male Muscovy duck who arrived in January 2005 and stayed, so we went to market and bought him some lady ducks, as you do in rural France. Once we had ducks, getting chickens seemed a logical thing to do and surprisingly Yum Yum, our first duck, wasn’t the only one to just turn up, Choccie, a brown Muscovy female joined our gang in November 2006. Brucie our goose was another orchard surprise, found as a fluffy yellow gosling, crying and scared one Sunday morning. Questioning our neighbours revealed they had seen an unknown bearded man enter through our locked gate and place the gosling in the orchard. This was in May 2009 but Brucie is still with us, laying large and delicious eggs, happy to live as an honoury duck and we still have no idea who left her or why. Such is life in a rural French village.

Brucie the Goose and her first egg of 2016

I thought the most unusual sight I’d seen in the orchard was the male Golden Pheasant who popped in one day to show off his magnificent plumage, but then the owls arrived. 

Golden Pheasant

Whilst weeding in the potager last week I glimpsed the silent shadow of large wings overhead and then noticed big bright eyes watching me from the bay tree. When Adrian arrived home at the weekend I took him out to see for himself and prove I hadn’t dreamt it. As I walked towards the bay tree, owl, after owl, after owl took flight above our heads. It was an incredible experience and having never in my life seen a long eared owl in the wild, I feel really privileged to have at least ten of them now spending their days in our large bay tree.

Long eared owl flying low over the orchard

I have spoken to Chris Luck, an expert on wildlife in France (find him on Facebook here), and I now know it is a common occurrence for many species of birds to flock together over winter and long eared owls have a preference for evergreen trees, like our bay. I had no idea this happened and although the orchard is a quieter spot over winter than in the summer, it’s not without it’s human interruptions. Their presence is such a privilege and although I should be busy tackling the weeds in the potager, at least I now have the perfect excuse not to do too much work out there as I don’t want to risk frightening them away.

A friend reminded me yesterday that the correct term to use is a parliament of owls, which I think is suitably important sounding for such an unexpected spectacle in our orchard. I’d certainly rather discuss the owls than anything currently going on in world politics.

This post has been linked to the Lou Messugo All About France blog link. Click here to read more posts.

And breathe

The flags of our commune bound in mourning

I know I have been a quiet blogger these last few weeks and I’m sorry. The events in Paris came at the end of a challenging week for me and the grey skies and damp days of last week didn’t do much to lift my mood, despite my own troubles having been firmly put into perspective. I don’t want to dwell on the attacks but one of the things I found most difficult was answering Ed’s questions. He is a sensible 15 year old, into music, conscientious (to a point) at school and thoroughly enjoying the increased freedom and time to hang out with his mates that being at lycée has given him, but he has a sensitive side too and is a worrier. When he asked me to explain how some people can go out and shoot random fellow human beings who were just going about their normal daily lives, I struggled to answer him. As a parent it is my job to answer his questions, to help him to understand the world he is living in and to make him feel safe and loved, but how could I give an answer when there seems to be no logical answer. The French President, François Hollande’s answer was to declare that France is at war with terrorism. The fact that my family are now living in a country that is ‘at war’ horrifies me. The President didn’t wait long to back up his words with direct action on ISIS strongholds in Syria, a country that is virtually crippled already and one whose citizens are fleeing in their thousands with many facing a retched winter with little or no food, shelter or clothing in a makeshift camp in Calais, France. This just proves to me that it is a mad and sad world we are living in and I wish I had the answer to make it a better one.

My initial reaction has been to retreat into the warm and fluffy world of books, to immerse myself in the lives of others, some who were real and recounting tales of travel, others who were fictional, but no less real in my head. I’m back now and thought I would share just a few of the personal challenges I have faced in the last few weeks, in no particular order, that I can look back and laugh at now. I also have lots of reviews to share with you in the coming days, including some festive themed books and Christmas gift ideas.

Being on the local council means attending meetings, but a two and half hour political meeting in French that lasted way past my bedtime was quite a challenge. It started with all 150 local councillors united in a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives, but quickly became a heated political debate that I did my best to keep up with. I certainly slept well that night, but the following day felt rather like my brain had been run over with a steamroller. Sleep is a good healer, but when you have nocturnal visitors whose banging and crashing keep you awake half the night, the following day can be a struggle. Francine la fouine (a stone martin) left her recognisable droppings outside our dining room window before scaling the house wall and trying to break into the loft. I could hear the terracotta roof tiles being moved about and much I hate to think of a single, pregnant mother with nowhere to nest over winter, I would rather she didn’t set up home in our loft. Our builder has since been and straightened all the tiles she spent half the night trying to dislodge and it’s all gone quiet, so fingers crossed she has found more suitable accommodation.

The nice man from Orange

Living in a rural village and often being home alone there are few things more precious than my links to the outside world, so having had a flat battery in the car one week, followed by no internet and a dodgy phone line the following week, I wasn’t a happy bunny. I can now add using a car battery charger to my list of useful life skills and thanks to the lovely man from Orange (who made me smile by turning up wearing orange) we now have a brand new phone line coming into the house and the internet is back, yippee! Some people moan about customer service in France, but Orange were superb. They called me back when they said they would, they arrived to fix the problem when they said they would and everyone I spoke to was friendly and polite.

Tomorrow my American friends and family will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day. I’m thankful for the happy life I have in this small French village and the friends we have made here. I wish all those celebrating a Happy Thanksgiving xx

How Does Your Garden Grow?

The first daffodils 

This week has been a busy one, but thanks to the blue skies and sunshine, some of my busyness has been outside in the garden, at last. I will admit to being a bit of a fair-weather gardener, but with the rising temperatures, birdsong and sunshine I have been encouraged to get outside, tackle some weeding in the potager, breathe the fresh spring air and take a few photos to share with you.

The first crocus

Rhubarb shoots

I love to see the first flowers of the year, although I can’t help but bring in the daffodils to enjoy indoors and am looking forward to picking the first of the rhubarb that is already pushing through the ground. I’ve started sowing the seeds for the potager, always a favourite time of year for me and although they are still tiny and kept safe and warm indoors, at least I am one step closer to having a full and productive vegetable garden this summer.

Chilli seedlings

Hazel catkins

A lot of my time outdoors at this time of year is spent straining my neck, checking skywards for the first sign of blossom, the first swoop of a swallow or another chance to watch the cranes as they head north in their distinctive and noisy way. These sights never fail to make me smile and make me thankful to be living in a beautiful rural area where the changing of the seasons is easy to witness.

The potager in early spring

I might not be harvesting much at the moment, but my garden has certainly started growing. Other news from the garden this week is that Brucie the goose has started laying and the ducks are acting mysteriously, which experience tells me means they are trying to find hidden corners to lay in, places where they hope I won’t discover them. However, I like to think I’m brainier than they are and can’t wait for the first duck egg omelette of 2015.

This post is linked to How Does Your Garden Grow? a blog link run by Mammasaurus  Do pop over and read more inspiring gardening posts, it's as easy as clicking on the link.

The good, the bad and the ugly of our long weekend

Thanks to Pentecost Monday we have just had a lovely three-day family weekend with no school or work interruptions and during the days at least, wall-to-wall sunshine. Here is a little of what we have been up to - the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Good

Saturday afternoon started with a picnic before a wander around a garden show at a local chateau, Fete des Plantes et du Jardin au Domaine de Péré. It has been a regular early summer event for us for the last few years and this year it was better than ever. Loads of lovely plants, ideas galore and the cutest garden ornaments ever. We even watched a demonstration of a truffle hunting dog put on by the Association des Trufficultures des Deux Sevres and we didn’t realise we lived in a truffle producing area. We came home with some new pots and lots of goodies to plant up, which is what we spent the pre-apero hour doing. Tidying up the terrace and pottering with the pots before relaxing with a glass of chilled rosé, it doesn’t get much better than that.

Truffle dog demonstration

Garden ornaments at Domaine de Péré

Fete des Plantes et du Jardin au Domaine de Péré

With the warm temperatures and sunshine we also managed to get out on our bikes three times over the weekend. We plotted our routes to take in different sections of the Boutonne river valley that gave us gentle, shady cycling. The source of this river is in our local town of Chef Boutonne and it then winds it’s way through the south Deux Sevres and into the Charente Maritime before joining the River Charente near to Rochefort.

The River Boutonne

The Bad

Despite the sunshine, it has been quite a wild weather weekend with storms every night, however we were very lucky to miss the really nasty ones. I usually wake at the first rumble of thunder and then worry myself into a sleepless state while the rest of the house continues to snore peacefully. After the third night of storm warnings, despite us having nothing more than distant rumbles of thunder during the previous nights I was a little too wound up to sleep properly last night. The window rattling thunder we had during the evening didn’t help and neither did the local paper reporting pictures of tennis ball sized hailstones. Yes – tennis ball sized! I was speaking to our insurance agent this afternoon and she has had a busy morning dealing with damage from fallen trees, hail damage to property, vignerons who have lost their entire grape harvest for the year and farmers who have lost fields of cereal crops. I am feeling very relieved and grateful today.

I had a bit of a shock when I opened the shutters at the lounge doors on Saturday morning as this poor fellow had taken refuge from the overnight storm. He wasn’t very big, so I managed to persuade him into our spider catcher gadget, which also allowed us to have a good look at him and try to identify him. We think he is a harmless smooth snake or courleuve lisse and as their population is in decline we set him free in a shady spot by our compost heap. It wasn’t the best start to my day I have to admit.

Smooth snake

The Ugly

If storms and snakes weren’t enough to dampen our spirits we also found a tick on the dog. If you thought getting a cat to take a tablet was a high risk, stressful event you have never tried to ‘do’ something to our dog. Having discovered it we had to persuade her into her muzzle (to ensure our safety – see here) and then Ade held her down while I bravely went in with the alcohol and tweezers. Thankfully all Mini did was shake like a leaf and then spend the rest of the day hiding under the stairs and I’m pleased to report the tick was successfully removed.

Today we are back to a normal routine, Ade left for an early morning flight to London and Ed is back at school, although not for long as we only have four weeks until the big summer holidays – yippee!

Early December

Café de la Paix, La Rochelle

I have been a little quiet on the blog as I took some time to enjoy five treasured days, the only ones that Ade had at home this month. I collected him from the airport at La Rochelle and we treated ourselves to a date at the delightfully decorated Café de la Paix before heading home where I kept him busy with the list of things that had broken/gone wrong in the time he had been away. I can’t tell you how lovely it was to have someone who was strong enough to put the front gate back on it’s hinges, someone to look at the slow puncture on my car, someone to struggle along with when manoeuvring the heavy pot plants indoors for winter, someone to encourage me to get out on the bike, someone to snuggle up with at night and someone to talk to when watching TV of an evening, even if we did miss many of the programmes when the talking took over. I even enjoyed getting up early on Sunday and making him a fresh batch of plum jam that was still warm when we breakfasted on our croissants and coffee.

My lovely weekend has evolved into a very busy week, as I am part of the organising team cooking up a meal for over 100 people for the Téléthon charity this weekend. I have been shopping for vast quantities of food and drink, helped with peeling kilos of vegetables and tonight we will be setting out the tables and chairs in the salle des fêtes before eating a yummy tartiflette together. Top tip – if you want people to come and help with something always offer a delicious homemade meal.

Thankfully having Mini and her doggy friend Toffee, who is staying with us this week, means I do have to go out every day and enjoy some quiet time in the countryside. There is not much to beat a crisp, early morning December walk with frosted hedgerows and mist clinging to the fields. Winter isn’t my favourite time of year but I can appreciate the beauty that is out there when you take time to look. The cold and frost are suggesting winter, but the stubborn golden leaves are still clinging on to autumn. There are deer in distant fields that thankfully the dogs don't notice and clouds of lapwings crying and calling out in protest as we disturb them in the fields. Life may be busy, both for Ade away at work and for me but I’ve lots to be thankful for and it won’t be too long before I have another date with my favourite man at my favourite café in La Rochelle. I hope you enjoy these pictures from my dog walks.

Frosty morning walks

December country walks

On the Migratory Route

Spring is my favourtie time of year (often making me feel bubbly and silly inside) and although I can’t decide what my favourite spring thing is, one of them has to be the moving and arrival of the migrating birds.

Migrating birds at sunset

One of the most spectacular sights to see as they often move in great numbers is the migration of Storks, Cranes and Geese that fly overhead in early spring. Having spent their winter in Spain they are making their way back to Scandinavia and the Baltic for the summer. As they are calling/'clapping' to each other all the way I often hear them before seeing them. I have also been known to dart off the main road and head down a track to get a better glimpse, such is my excitement at witnessing this spectacle. I will admit I am not an expert on their habits, so not sure why, but some seem to enjoy the Charente-Maritime summer so much they nest in the marshland around Brouage. Whatever the reason, I certainly enjoyed watching them when I cycled around the marshes last year.

Summer residents, Brouage marshes

As winter is beginning to turn I often see the Northern Lapwings, part of the plover family, while out walking the dog. They enjoy moist habitats, so the open fields surrounding the village that are prone to flooding provide a perfect winter location. Prior to heading back to Scandinavia and Russia they congregate in large groups and can be very noisy, but are quite a sight en masse.

Lapwings

Possibly the most exotic looking visitor is the Hoopoe who is found year round in Africa but some migrate north to breed in the summer. They like dry habitats especially orchards, vineyards and olive groves and are also quite happy in gardens. Feasting on insects, but also small mammals and reptiles, their long probing beaks are ideal for ground foraging. Nesting is often low to the ground and in holes in walls, so the old stone walls of the barns around here, combined with the orchards and vineyards make it a popular breeding area for them. I will admit they are a beautiful sight to see, but as they are very shy it is more common to hear them rather than see them and I’m quite happy with that. To sit in a quiet spot in the garden and listen to the rhythmic call of the hoopoe is almost hypnotic.

Hoopoe in the garden

Feeding time

My favourite summer visitors are the Swallows, with the first one usually arriving from Africa in mid March. Their arrival is so important I note the first sighting in the calendar every year. They spend their summers here, nest building in the barn, breeding and teaching the youngsters to swoop and fly – often dive bombing the cat and dog as they walk across the courtyard. Feasting on the flies they are perfect for keeping the fly population down, another reason I am glad to have them. Their happy chattering sound is lovely to hear so it is sad when they all congregate on the telephone and power lines in September getting ready to depart for a warmer winter (not that I can blame them). However, I am pleased to announce that I have seen and heard all of these visitors this spring, so all is well with my world. Living in the middle of nowhere may not be for everyone, but when I get to see and hear sights like these I am very happy.

Swallows preparing to head south in September