SNOW

It's the middle of January. I've just got back from walking the dogs--everywhere is grey and wet-- but it's a big change as we've been snowed ( or rather iced!) up for the last 8 days. It started falling last Monday afternoon, and the next morning we woke up to whiteness. About 10 cms had fallen --- enough for the Beauregard boys to spend the morning wizzing about on sledges, tin trays and polythene feed bags. They are at the top of the hill--- we are at the bottom. That first morning, it was all great fun.

Roland , the farmer, who has a shed full of Limousin cows across the way, arrived by tractor to feed them.
This compacted the snow on the road -- which froze that night, and everynight for the rest of the week! Temperatures got down to -11*C overnight, according to the thermometer in the barn, and barely rose above zero all week--- even though the sunshine was beautiful. One day I hung the washing out in the sunshine---it freeze-dried on the line!

The kitchen and the living-room log burning stoves were kept in 24 hours a day! Fortunately Geoff was prepared and had plenty of wood cut to the right lengths in anticipation of the necessity. There was sufficient food in the freezer and the pantry to prevent any worry of starvation. When the cat food ran out Boris had to have dog food. Once upon a time this would have been fine, but nowadays he is extremely fussy--so he complained.

A new term of French classes, and dance-fit classes , just starting that week, had to be abandoned. I was quite relieved to find I wasn't the only chicken--in fact nobody out in the countryside managed to get anywhere.

We walked miles with the dogs. Usually I do the morning walk & Geoff the evening--or vice-versa, but with such beautiful sunny mornings we both tramped miles going along footpaths that were previously untried. We found a new 'lavoir' ( originally a spring that was used for washing clothes), but then decided to keep away from water. All the lakes and even the River Charente was frozen. Rabbit footprints could be seen on the frosted ice, but we didn't want the dogs trying it out! Rosie is a pretty solid labrador, and Battie is a Welsh border collie.

Thursday afternoon saw me and the dogs pottering along the riverbank, when Rosie spotted a coypu standing on the ice about 10 metres from the bank. She rushed at it ---I screamed 'NO--COME BACK!'
Amazingly she grabbed it before galloping back to me! I'm afraid to report the coypu's life was finished at that point, but I was horribly aware of all the stories one hears every year of people falling through ice and drowning when trying to rescue dogs.

In future, during freezing weather, all walks will be in the woods, footpaths and fields well away from any water!

Friday we got the car out by going along the grass 'chemin' ( footpath) at the back of the house. We were amazed how little snow had thawed, particularly along roads surrounded by trees. We stocked up ( with cat food!) and decided driving was still very unpleasant.

Saturday morning was the new Maire of Asnois's New Year's welcome party. We walked, and arrived to find only 1 other English person there. There are about 10 English families in our village. Every one is at an outlying cottage or farmhouse. This made us heroes, and everybody was impressed that we'd made the effort. French ettiquette requires that the women kiss everybody on the cheeks at least 3 times ! Men shake hands, but kiss women.--- and you say 'Bonne Annee' and 'Bonne Sante'--it's all very time consuming and everything stops for late arrivals to go through all the process too!
The Maire then makes his address-- basically letting us know where all this year's taxes will be spent. It's quite hard to follow while little ones are running around, and he mumbles on in his very fast French, but I gather this year Rochemeneau's lake is to be re-walled by the commune as it is next to the road and so of local necessity. More interestingly we are to have a new doctor in the village--but I think I'll save that for a later date.

Then we all drink champagne and eat biscuits and chat before tottering home for lunch!

It rained last night and all is back to normal!