good game, good game, but I want my green field back

It is a week today since we had our first snow and now the vista, though stunning, is icing over and today is the coldest I have felt it here. I came in straight from the cold having havested some brussel sprouts for tonight and the fridge felt warmer compared to the outside, it all felt a bit silly. The bin men slid their way to our gate this morning and I pulled our neighbour's bin onto the road as they, and I, had no hope of seeing them this week but in the muted atmospheric sound of a snowy scene I heard them trundling down the road and had time to get my bag to the gate. Can't say the same for the post woman as we saw her in leclerc yesterday at the very time she should be delivering our letters and we have had no news or bills for that matter since last Thursday. Mike is developing a small-bird haven around the cart and garden table with corn, bread and fat balls we have never been keen twitchers but there is very little else to do so watching the great tit, blue tit, fatso robin and his slimmer robinmate have us both glued to the window just watching nature deal with this cold spat. As we speak the Brevand's commune gardener is driving his tractor around the one way system to clear the snow ridge so he is pretty fed up as well. I know it is the same for everyone but the joke is wearing a bit thin now and I want my green field back ............

when you know you have made a mistake

More about the title later. Today has been an indoor day due to yet another snow flurry and as it is Sunday we are entitled to stay in. Mike lit a fire mid morning and we went about our jobs knowing that soon we were going to be sat in front of a blazing fire and that would be our RIGHT. Despite the need to sit tight there are still chores that need to be done, feed the ducks and chickens empty the compost buckets walk HOSS and check the rabbit trap and today I coaxed Mike out to do a circuit of the field with me in the deep snow and he noticed that the wood was under attack...only he would see that . Two years ago we planted 50 trees to create a wood and at the time we put 50 little chicken wire collars around the bottom of each tree to protect it from the ravages of the rabbits. Durng this summer I removed a row of these collars in the firm belief that the trunks were beyond the rabbits delight but today we saw they were not and I had to do an emergency cover up with plastic bottles. I cut and placed 9 bottles so that the bottom of each tree is now protected from nibbling rabbits. I knew I had made a mistake by taking the chicken wire away and Mike did say at the time perhaps I should not, but there you go, look, learn and take heed.......I also got my water colour paints out today. To get over the fear of a blank piece of white paper to paint on, I painted on a piece of wood.....it is absolutely awful but a very positive start. We toasted bread on the fire for afternoon tea today the toast tasted the same but we felt a warm glow for being so close to the fire while we ladened our toast with oooodles of home made jam and fresh coffee....yummmy

snow snow and more snow

It has snowed again over night and all our tracks are covered so lots more virgin snow to trample. HOSS is in his element and his "play with me" bark echos around the field, we both walked the field this morning to check the rabbit trap but it is windy and very cold so back in for a day of warm activities. Yesterday I got my mac to see Mike's wireless printer technology is just amazing.....but safarie still quits when I try to upload a picture here so perhaps today is the day I sit at my desk and sort it......

We have fed the ducks, swan and chickens and the cats are on bigger portions as the mice and juicy snacks are way down in the snow, both cats are bleating and complaining everytime we make a move but hay.....they need to get into the barn and eat what is in there...mice and rats...that is their job and duty.

We didin't go to drinks gathering with the Maire last night cause it is just so snowy and this morning I got a call from Genevriere to see if we were both OK, I explained that we don't take risks in the dark, if we have an accident it is a language nightmare for us, we are not yet hardened country folk and that is how it is......she was a little miffed but that is who we are..........

4x4 and snow....spot on

Mike wanted to get out today and drive the explorer in real live snow and ice. Our roads are not treated and I was curious to see if Brevands was not actually cut off. We did a ring around and got an order from Jacqualine for butter and bread.....forget the milk as long as she has butter and as we ate all her bread Tuesday lunch I was glad to be of service. Carentan is well salted so no problem there but the moment you drive outside the town centre then the roads are white and slippery but the car behaved well and I was very impressed. Nobody is shopping in this bad weather and the meat department in Leclerc slashed their prices and I bought 4 pork joints and roasted them on our half price lunch time electricity and sliced up enough pork to make 16 dinners for two for 12 euros.....love a bargain.....We have stashed our 300 bottles of new cider in the garage and had a bottle of last years tonight.....lovely

frosty and snowman came to visit today

Still no safari, no pictures so I have contacted a mac man to see if he can help. EDF have written twice now to say the monthly electricity payments need to go up at least 25% so I called to say no way, so we stay as we are. I have no idea why EDF try it on as they never quibble about us not wanting to put the monthly payment up, very different to the UK.

Well, finally it snowed overnight and I couldn't wait to get out and tread some fresh powder and it was great. HOSS just went bonkers jumping in thick snow up to his belly and the whole atmosphere was magical. Morning constitutional over, I made coffee defrosted pain chocolate from the freezer and went straight back to bed and joined Mike watching French TV proclaiming it helps with the lingo but I just think we like sitting in bed with coffee and pain chocolate. We cleared the snow off the poly tunnel which is all about weight of snow verses stretch of plastic but it was a good job done and if the sun does make an appearance at least the tunnel will heat a little. In for the rest of the day, it is bitter and we deserve to stay in. see what tomorrow brings.

cider comes but once a year

It is cold, I woke up at 7:30, still dark out and there was a definite chill in the air, we spoke to Deb in Australia over breakfast and it is 24 degrees with the air con on. We finally got a message from George and it is -12, so extremes rule in our family now. We filled, corked and secured 300 bottles of cider today in Jacqueline's cold, nay arctic, cellar with freezing cold cider all over our hands. In order to get the syphon to work from the barrel mike had to suck up pints of the golden nectar, needless to say he swallowed a good percentage of it and at 10 in the morning was next best thing to alcohol abuse and with the added issues of the obligatory 3 hour lunch with our 84 year old hostess Mike's alcohol levels were way up and probably illegal. We took a look at Beema in the Marina this afternoon to see if the electric supply had been reset and relieved to report all heaters were alight and she was as warm as toast and quite beautiful despite looking like a neglected marsh boat. The brac water in the Marina transforms any white surface into a green slimy hue and Beema is mostly white so put your imaginations to work on that. It was choir night and we had the annual....prend la gallette....this is custard pie with two favours baked inside that you share with your mates and family to celebrate the return of the three kings from Jesus's stable. If you are lucky enough to get a favour and probably have broken a tooth in the process you are presented with a paper crown to wear and in our case have your photo taken looking very silly and guess what .....I won....so I will be looking through all the papers to see if I made the news. Georgina skyped tonight they are both well and it is -21 in Calgary, far too cold for me .........

first day back at work

I tried to add a picture of the house for those who have not seen where we are, but Safari quits every time I try, so that will be the next challenge I think, I will need to upgrade my system and as always that means change which means frustrating hours at the desk getting everything to work as it did......we hate being in doors, but the shorter days help us to accomplish a lot more admin stuff than we do in the summer. Today Mike has changed the seal on the washing machine, not very fab France-living for the first blog but that is life, and the seal just had to be changed. We had the seal flown in from the UK and after 11 days away for the festive season the wash epic has begun. Today we have been in melancholy mood as Georgina starts her new life in Canada and I have watched the screens all day not daring to venture out in case I missed her news but did, and got an e-mail from Debbie in Australia to say George had arrived and all was well.......cry, I could have auditioned for a mothercare TV ad, parenthood is tougher than you expect and there are no courses to cover it. Right then....day one over, the temperature outside is plummeting and we have closed the shutters and hunkered down.