Rural Life

Day 30 of lockdown - another Wednesday

It is Wednesday, so it is market day at la Flèche - another anxious drive up the road and a surprising amount of traffic.  Normally there are quite a few lorries, but today there were a lot, or so it felt.  There were also quite a few cars, but no police checks on the way or while queueing to enter the market square.  I was earlier, and the queue was just as long as last week but seemed to move through more quickly.  The lady in front of me thought that 4 metres was a good distance for social isolation!

Anyway, I was able to stock up on cheese, milk and butter, and I bought nice fish and chicken wings and got a good dollop of vegetables, so I felt that small cakes were my rascal's reward for my efforts!  Today there were more cars parked in the town, so I was by the river.  Le Loir is the little brother of la Loire further south, and to my mind rather prettier.  When she is in full flood, la Loire is majestic and huge, but in the summer, the river bed is full of sandbanks and the water takes up perhaps a third of the space.  She is also treacherous and deadly.  Le Loir seems to have a more stable flow and has many small, pretty towns and villages along it, with the occasional chateau, and a few weirs.  Here is the view at la Flèche.

On the 4th April (day 19 of lockdown) I wrote about setting seeds for the new growing season.  Well, some are coming up - 17 butternut squashes, a similar number of sweet corn and lots of Moneymaker tomatoes.  With very limited window sill space indoors, we are getting them used to the great outdoors already!

John pruned back the rambling rose on the side of the house that is on the road, but he did it a bit late, so there were a number of buds in the prunings.  We put them in a vase and now one is out already, and very beautiful it is too!

 

Day 29 of lockdown - but spring is still springing!

Last night the President addressed the nation and told us lockdown was extended to 11th May, and even then, things would not be back to normal straight away.  Restaurants and bars - such a key part of French life - will not be reopening then, although some schools might.  The borders remain closed.  So there are at least 27 more days of this - not sure how that makes me feel.  We've been doing OK so far, not least as we are still able to work, either remotely (when I do my UK work) or in isolation (when doing work in France in isolated gardens), and we are able to access nice food and drink.  But I am beginning to miss family - last year I seemed to spend every other day in Chinon until my brother arrived, at which point it was a day every week.  Not that I miss the A85 having said that!!  We also miss friends and the Friday night at the pub sessions will not be happening for a lot longer than four weeks it seems.

So human life is in limbo in many ways, and the days could start to resemble each other, until you pay attention to nature and how spring is carrying on regardless.  I had to feed the country cats today, so was able to admire the antics of a ginger cat in the sun with a nice, earth-filled hole.

Then there was the lovely surprise of a lilac bush I'd not seen before, flanked by a cherry tree and a hawthorn, both in full flower.

And then there was the chance to look closely at what we believe to be a lady orchid (still could be corrected on that one) as it gets towards peak perfection.

So really, in the scale of things, it is not all bad at all!

 

Day 28 of lockdown - apparently it's a bank holiday

Today it really is quiet.  Normally on Easter Monday we would be able to hear the funfair in Baugé Place de l'Europe, and would discuss whether we were going to go in to see the crowds and the market, and most years deciding that we won't.  But this year there is no choice.  So quiet, that even though it is a day to feed the cats in the country, we haven't dared to go out to do that!

This morning I did go out on an abortive attempt to buy croissants and baguette, not realising that our bakers are now closed on a Monday.  Still it did mean I got out for a short walk this morning.  It was grey and dull but not cold and I never really tire of this particular view.

There should be a photo of the road leading down to the pub and the lake but it doesn't seem to want to load today!  O wait, I've got it sorted!

We did useful things in the garden in the morning and then in the afternoon I finished sewing all the pieces together of the new cover for the pergola.  Now I have to think about how it is going to be attached to the frame and where I can get any necessary supplies from!

And I want to put in a picture of the full donut of the cover - so far it hasn't worked...  sixth time lucky!

The quince is now in full bloom which looks rather lovely.

And I am now fed up with fighting technology.  Enjoy the rest of your bank holiday!

 

Day 27 of lockdown - there's thunder in the air

Happy Easter to all - I hope the Easter Bunny was able to find a local elf to ensure you had some chocolate today!  Thanks for the messages about this blog too by the way - it really does help to know people are reading it, if only to keep me on my toes about fact checking and the like.

Although there are now storms rumbling around, this morning was lovely with not a cloud in the sky.  I have been surprised at how quickly the ounces are piling on (and after 27 days, ounces mount up) - I guess I didn't really realise how much good the long Sunday walk, the (in my dreams) weekly trip to swim at la Flèche and the Monday evening yoga sessions all did me.  Anyway, this morning I left John doing bad things to the artichokes that have taken over the potager, and went for my permitted up to 1 hour of solitary exercise no more than 1km from my front door.  Actually at the furthest point I fear I was actually 1.05km from my front door, but no one stopped me!

The following six photos are from my walk.  I want over the Couasnon twice and hoped to see kingfishers, but sadly no.  I did see swallows however - they arrived during the week and are now being delightful as only swallows can be.  I did see a couple of big trout in the stream, but no chance of getting a photo with my phone.  Coming back into the village, I noticed that the laburnum is now out, so shouldn't be surprised that my hay fever symptoms are starting to ramp up.  I do need to ration the antihistamines though as it will be a while before I can get more.

Anyway, enjoy the stroll in the quiet of the countryside!

 

Day 26 of lockdown - waiting for the Easter Bunny

Although I doubt he will put in an appearance here this year but we do still have 2 Cadbury's Crème Eggs saved in the fridge for tomorrow!

Saturday is market day in Baugé en Anjou and each week the market gets a bit bigger in size as the stall holders work out what is possible in the current restrictions.  I have to go to one shop as well to pick up my vital order of loose leaf Earl Grey tea - left at a shop for me by the owner of the tea rooms that are closed for the moment.  As you can imagine, it is a struggle to walk to the top of this road to get my order!

It is also a bind standing in a queue when you can admire our 15th Century chateau, built by good King René d'Anjou.

The orchid has now opened, and it was worth the wait.

Finally, I managed to get all the cutting done, and then set to with the old faithful Singer hand cranked sewing machine and have got four lots of two segments, and one lot of four segments, which I laid out on the lawn to see what they looked like.

Day 25 of lockdown - trying to do crafts with a bit of "help"

Although not a bank holiday in France, Good Friday is not a day I work.  Normally I would spend the morning at the expat Hot Cross Bun party in aid of Children in Need, but this year we are all having to do it alone in our own homes.  Nibbles would like to demonstrate good practice in social distancing and isolation.

As the weather is stunning, I thought this afternoon would be a good time to make a start on the new fabric cover for the gazebo.  I made a new cover about 4 years ago now, but sun, bird poo, rutting ladybirds and rotting peaches have all taken their toll and it is probably a greater health hazard than Covid-19.  I use the outdoor dining table as my cutting and sewing table (hence needing nice weather) but others find the area useful as well.  While I was setting up, I had to avoid this.

Surprisingly, it isn't a bad accident between bantam and cats, but a prolonged dust bath in a human trap they have constructed near the table.  Bridie was not moving, so I had to work around her. 

I bought this fabulous material last year, and the turquoise piece is the pattern I made last time round, so I was able to start to pin out the 1m by 1.6m sections.

I'd got four sections done (I need 12) and was working on the next two, when Nibbles decided to help.

I had to give up and come in when Poirot joined in and Zola was making a nest in the fabric on the floor.  I'm hoping they are getting bored while I do this blog and I will be able to another few sections before apero time.

Day 24 of lockdown - a funny thing happened on the way to work

I got stopped and my papers checked by the police today.  I was driving down a tiny back road and they were coming in the opposite direction, and probably assumed I was without the relevant attestations.  We both needed to pull over anyway, as the road was only 1.5 cars wide. 

Windows down - "Madam do you have your attestations?" 

"Yes, officer, several actually!"  So I started with the standard one, where I had ticked the work box -

"You are British Madam?" 

"Um well yes, I am." 

"And what is this work you are going to do?" 

"Well, at a second home, where there is gardening work to be done and cats to be fed, and I've got my employee attestation and a note from the owner and everything." <Gulp!> 

"A second home and cats to be fed?" 

"Yes <gabbling now a bit> and then I've got to go to another second home and mow the lawns there, and I've got the attestations for that too!"

"Ah, Madam, you are going about your professional work, that's fine, have a nice day!"

And off they went.  While I was waving all the other attestations around, they didn't want to see any of them.  Actually the younger cop was nodding happily when I said I was going to feed cats, but I think I've met that one before...  So anyway, I now have confirmation that what I do is right and legal, so that's all good.

So once the cats were fed, I beat the bounds at that property and found three nice spears of asparagus for dinner and the first of the wild orchids to show its flower spike this year.  I photographed it for you, but in a week or so it will be much more dramatic.

Then I went on to the other property and mowed.  There is a lake there, and today I noticed a rather unpleasant and worrying phenomenon on the surface of the lake - look at all that pollen!  I think it is a mix of rape and birch, but the grass won't be too far behind.

A friend shared a photo of her tree peony with me on Facebook, so I am pleased that I did finally remember today to photograph mine, which is now out in front of the house.  It might look a bit weedy, but it has been growing in a pot for about 7 years - I probably ought to repot it once the flowers are over.

And as for that watched orchid that should surely be open by now?  Well this is where we are at today!

 

Day 23 of lockdown - bits and bobs to delight and fright

A couple of days ago I mentioned my orchid that was torturing me with how slowly the flower buds develop and when would the blasted thing open.  Still not open today of course, but getting jolly close - see!

So there I was this morning, standing at a safe distance from the person in front of me and the person behind me in the queue to get into the market at la Flèche.  As I looked around, I noticed a lovely display of flowers - most likely hyacinths that have been around for a few years - on the roof of an outbuilding.  It is probably an old outside loo - my Mum has one very similar in Chinon.  It was so pretty to look at this morning though.

The apply blossom is starting to come out - this spray of flowers is from the Granny Smith tree, which is ahead of the Reine de Reinette.  There are unlikely to be any flowers at all on the Belle de Boskoop.

And finally, I present to you a bowl of eggs.  The big white one is a goose egg - geese are big.  The other three are from our chickens.  That one top left is scary.  Just think about laying that one, boys and girls.

Day 22 of lockdown - more plants

Before I get on to the nice flora related bits of this post, I need to get something off my chest.  Where do self-important Facebook know-it-alls get off and why don't they get slapped down? 

I was looking at the most recent advice from the British Embassy in France about travel documents, and while there were some interesting questions and clarifications, there was also a thread about how the current attestations aren't totally easy for the self-employed, and it can be useful to have a note from your client as well.  Some silly cow offered her opinion, finishing off the comment with "The self-employed should not be working at the moment anyway."  How wrong can you be in one simple statement?  GPs and district nurses here are self-employed in general for example, as are many farmers, lawyers, and all sorts of people who can work from home.  In addition, there are the quasi-emergency services such as electricians, plumbers, people who empty your septic tank, take you to hospital in their taxis - all of whom tend to be self-employed.  Sadly no one from the Embassy had managed to correct that statement in the hour since it was posted, but I hope they get round to it soon!

By the way, the French Government have given clarification as to what the self-employed put on their attestations - and it is perfectly OK.

And having vented and put that rant out there, I am now nicely zen again and would like to show some of the lovely and happy things in the natural world.  First off the quince is just coming out - in my opinion the most beautiful of the fruit blossom, my only worry is that it is about a month early.  But so pretty!

Close inspection of the broad beans shows that they are starting to set - four to six weeks and they will be delicious!

And a technical one.  A few years ago, I wrote this post about a nasty new invasive non-native species, a form of gall wasp that attacked the buds of new growth on sweet chestnuts, deforming leaves, destroying flowers and weakening the tree.  It was all through our One Acre Wood and a client had it on their young chestnut trees - many did not survive, but some did.  There was a quiet release of a targeted predator for the cynips chestnut gall wasp in the area, and it seems to be winning the battle.  On these twigs you can see some of last year's distorted buds which hosted wasp larvae, and you can see beautiful new buds with no galls at all.  There is hope!

Day 21 of lockdown - waiting for an orchid to bloom

First off an update on yesterday's post - we have indeed captured our first Asian hornet "reine fondatrice" or mother of queens.  I got the confirmation this morning.  So that is 10 hornets' nests less this summer, which is something to feel good about.

Anyway, that is our third week of lockdown completed.  The weather has been overcast, cool and wet, so it has felt more constraining today.  Even the baker's was closed, so no trip up for the daily baguette.

Time drags on a day like this, and so little things become important, and you reflect on silly things.  Here is one - a watched pot never boils.  Well yesterday that was certainly true with the broccoli to go with our pot roast chicken - I set it off before preparing the cheese plate, resting the chicken and making the sauce, and when that was all done and the wine opened and tasted, the broccoli still wasn't boiling!  

But more irritating than the broccoli that doesn't boil, is the orchid bud that doesn't burst!  Our first mini-orchid did so well last summer, and I nurtured it and kept it alive (normally I kill them very quickly), but then the flowers faded and died (after 4 months, so not unsurprising), and I thought that was it.  I went away for a few days in January, and when I got back I found tiny new flower buds forming and got all excited.  Then as each got to half a pea size, they turned brown and dropped off.  A new way to break my heart.  So when this lot of buds started, I wasn't convinced, but it is bigger than half pea size, it isn't turning brown - can it please hurry up and open!!??