Rural Life

Apricot Blossom

The fine run of weather in England and Northern France has brought things on nicely after the cold and snows of February.  Actually the cold and snows of January and February have done good things for the fruit trees.  Things like fruit trees, black currant bushes and similar actually need a defined period of cold and frost in order to get the real rest they need for the next season.

It looks like all our fruit trees needed that cold spell and have benefited from it.  I have never seen the apricot so covered in flowers, nor the peach for that matter.  The apricot was a good two weeks later flowering than last year, which is no bad thing, and may mean we get some fruit this year - last year we got 2.  Given that the tree is HUGE, 2 is not a result.  In 2006 we had over 200 of the most delicious, succulent and scented fruit you can imagine - memories of that keep us trying, rather than turning the tree into firewood.

The peach tree is a feral, but when it fruits, they are lovely white fleshed peaches with tremendous flavour.  In 2007 we had 35 of the most fabulous fruits, but last year we had none.  The peach tree is currently covered in deep pink blossom, so we are again hopeful.

The pear, cherry, quince and medlar trees are all holding fire for the moment, but look like there will be a lot of blossom, while the Worcesterberries and Black Currants are also looking promising.  The fig looks like a collection of dead branches, but it is still a relative baby.

So let's hope for a good fruit year, so that home grown goodies help us through this boring credit crunch and depression.  Apricot curd is like potted sunshine and is fab on a warm croissant or a slice of brioche.  Here is some of the blossom with a busy bee to help matters along.

My LaCanche Cooker - at last!

Before Christmas I wrote a blog about the trials and tribulations of getting my lovely new cooker in for Christmas.

Actually, while it was in the room for Christmas, it wasn't connected to the gas so I couldn't use it.  Nor could I use it for New Year - still no gas.  All through January and February I couldn't use it other than to stack things on as there was still no gas.  This was all due to the slowest and least efficient donor of Certificates of Conformity somewhere in Briollay, whose list of why we didn't have the certificate went through - well there was Christmas, New Year, snow, 'flu, a computer virus, half term and not answering his telephone.  Finally however it was delivered, and with 2 weeks delay, a meter was delivered and connected up and now I am cooking with gas (yes, I am indeed a former British Gas employee) and on my lovely new cooker.

The sales blah from the company says that it is the piano of the virtuoso cook, or some other flowery phrase.  All I know is that I have cooked 5 meals on it now and every one has worked perfectly and been delicious, from a simple pasta sauce and spaghetti, through scrambled eggs to last night's stir fried satay chicken.

If I weren't so full of cold, I would be in 7th heaven, but right now in any case my world is a better place - and soon our ground floor room will be back to normality.  Here is the wonderous beast in all its glory.

Rules on Road Kill

It is that time of year when we are warned that boar are on the move.  Actually twice recently the motorways round here have been closed as groups of boar were on the carriageway.  A boar can do an awful lot of damage to a car.

We have noted that the start of the hunting season round here is always marked by the tale of some poor defenceless aged peasant driving home late at night who is willfully attacked in his car by a wild boar.  The outcome varies, but the most common version is that said poor peasant is in hospital, the car is written off, the boar escapes and had to be tracked down by the plucky hunters, who donate a large portion of the kill to a local OAP home canteen.

My interpretation is that some drunken old boy with dodgy vision is driving along in his "sans permis" car (small metal box powered by lawnmower engine), sees movement and chases it, thinking it is a good idea and he is indestructable as he is drunk and in his little car, but o dear, a boar is bigger and stronger than said car.

Be that as it may, many round here have noticed that while boar get ever more common, hunters who can actually shoot one get ever more rare, being more likely to shoot each other, their dogs or buildings (some friends lost a bathroom window which looked suspicious).

This year the local paper has been giving out advice as to what to do if you meet a boar on the road.  You are recommended not to try to hit it - they make an awful mess of the car.  If you can't avoid it, make sure it is dead (not sure how you are meant to do that), call the police and inform them you hit and killed it, and load the carcase in the car for consumption at home.  If you fail to call the police and are caught with it, you may be done for killing animals with an unapproved method!

My reading of this is that your car is knackered so while you save the money to get the car fixed, you have something to eat at any rate!

The importance of spaying tomcats

Spring is in the air now - well we are into March after all - and at this time of year, cats' attention turns to sex.  Particularly those cats that have not been seen to.  Our two girls were neutered before they were allowed out, and we got next door's girl cat done (with permission) once her kittens had left home.  However some new people moved into the courtyard and with the impetuousness of youth, thought that a cat would be a good idea, irrespective of whether they have any outdoor area for it, the time to look after and feed it or the money to have it spayed.  Don't get me started on the selfishness of that.

It is quite cute, but the first time it was chucked out of the window to do its business in the courtyard, it got jumped on and raped by two tom cats in succession - while the owner looked on!  Since then two more toms have turned up and had a go, while the girls of the area don't like the poor wee thing as she is competition for food.

So the sad thing is that in a few weeks there will be another litter of unwanted kittens doing the rounds, which may survive being squashed on the road before they are rehoused, but who knows?  We could well find them in the well as well.

Even sadder however is the toll on the local tomcats.  With four on the scene they were always fighting and having sex and not really thinking about staying safe.  To my knowledge, two have been knocked over on the road, and we suspect have crawled somewhere to die, another is limping around our garden with a bad leg and unsure of where he lives.  If their hormones had been under control, they wouldn't have been quite so daft and might still be around.

So people, heed my words!  Spay both your male and your female cats - it is better for them and it is better for you and it makes life a lot easier for all.