Winter mornings. It's not light enough for our walk until 6:50. Bob is ready for the off at 6:30.
Sophie had gravy with her kibbles last night. An experience she relished. This morning she has a thorough face wash and a major muzzle trim.
November 1st is a national holiday in France. The little market town eerily quiet. It's as if a neutron bomb has hit it. We find a cafe open on the Square. Angus has an espresso. The PONs a bowl of water ( shared ) and a digestive biscuit ( also shared ).
We have ordered new blinds for The Rickety Old Farmhouse. Tweedledum and Tweedledee ( as 'The Font'' calls them ) arrive to fit them. Two 62 year old brothers in law from the neighbouring village. They're fitting the blinds on their day off and would like to be paid in cash. As personalities go Tweedledum is marginally more outgoing than Tweedledee . They arrive at 8:15. By 10:00 they're still discussing how best to fit them. They have brought with them a new laser spirit level which they're using for the first time. Tweedledum reads the instructions out aloud to his partner.
Bob and Sophie inspect the fitters van. The PONs are told not to get in it. They get in it. They are told to get out. They do as they're told for a while before getting back in. Angus orders them indoors.
Tweedledum and Tweedledee leave at noon. They've fitted the blind in the upstairs winter kitchen. They promise to return to fit the two other blinds 'as soon as possible'.
The village unusually busy . All Saints Day still set aside for visiting the family grave. Kindly grandsons with bent double grandmothers and patient grandfathers and attentive grand daughters much in evidence. Chrysanthemums fill the churchyard. Madame Bay is there with her daughters who are carrying a small forest of plants. '' If memories could fill my car I'd drive a million miles " she informs me. The poetic nature of this comment is dispelled by the sight of the gold metallic 'Wild Child' voiturette which has had another 'run in' with a solid object and is missing its rear bumper.
19 comments:
I trust Mme Bay was suitably attired for the graveside visit?
Mme. Bay's comment will carry me through the day.
Absolutely
It looks like you have the same lights in your winter kitchen as we do on our first floor landing. Absolute hell when you need to change the bulb because you need to align inner and outer sheath on the hanging light whilst up a ladder to insert three pins at the top which keep it all together. It took two of us (therefore two ladders) and quite a lot of swearing.
I love Madame Bay.
Wish I was there to hang your blinds, lol; I'm the go-to picture and curtain hanger - stopping by to hang blinds for my daughter today :) Time change here next weekend...
You and your wife must be patient people...
Me too!
Hari OM
Well I hope you are indeed blinded soon - in the nicest possible way of course... YAM xx
I am convinced that Madame Bay is a Noel Coward character come to life.
Me too!
You can't hurry craftsmen, especially when they are trying to work out how to use their new laser spirit level. Something of a challenge at their age I should imagine !
Challenge is one word for it !
We've been in France for nearly nine years.
These are fitted with LED's with a 5 year guarantee - they may last 2 years.
Black boots, black leggings .... you get the idea. The paisley turban fastened at the front with the faux Kohinoor diamond a perhaps less funereal touch.
We wish you were here too.
Thank you.
Tweedledum and Tweedledee sound like colorful additions to your cast of characters (which already has plenty of color).
And just what is the purpose of a van if not for getting in and exploring?
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