Thursday, November 16, 2017

Less is more.


From the safety of his stump seat Bob watches the little tike and his big brother head off in the school bus. They press their noses against the bus window and make woof woof sounds as they drive by. Bob is unimpressed.

I'm about to close the tail gate on the 'Loonj' and head off for the morning croissant when the PONs notice a cat sauntering across the lawn. They greet it with synchronized - and vocal - horror. PONs are a demonstrative breed.


Cold again this morning. We lit our first fire of the winter last night. The PONs head off through the village. Stop #1) is where we greet the goat in the old widows garden #2) the three race horses in the horse hotel #3) the pregnant cows in the field by the stream and #4) the inhabitants of the horse farm. The inhabitants of the horse farm live in hope that Angus has brought a bag of carrots with him. They saunter over to greet us. 


By the car park the supermarket has erected a rather modernistic Christmas tree. It appears to be a concrete cone with some white lights wrapped around it. The designer is clearly a believer in the 'Less is more' mantra. 'The Font' notices that the little cafe on the corner has gone and the interior gutted. A Starbucks sign is being installed above the door by a group of workmen in red boiler suits. This is the first Starbucks we've seen in France.


While 'The Font' shops Angus explores the supermarkets temperature and humidity controlled wine cellar. An hour flies by. 'The Font' asks if Angus has become bored waiting. He hasn't.


This seems a shame. A dogs power to heal should not be underestimated  : https://wtop.com/local/2017/11/program-pairs-service-dogs-veterans-booted-ft-belvoir-walter-reed/slide/1/


10 comments:

WFT Nobby said...

Not sure that concrete monstrosity deserves to be called a tree...
Love the photo of the horses and donkeys in the cold morning light.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari om
One SB is guaranteed to have a flock behind it...hopexthe same is not true of concrete trees. Indeed a shame re the dogs. YAM xx

MOPL said...

the old farmer needs to decorate the tree with his light and Christmas decoration collection

Taste of France said...

Maybe they'll direct one of those light show devices on the concrete tree.
I saw a Starbucks in Marseille. And one on the Grand Place in Brussels. It had a line out the door. The coffee is good, but so is the coffee at the gorgeous old bars around the place, some of which have fireplaces. Why stand in line at Starbucks? We don't have Starbucks but do have "Columbus Coffee," which does a brisk business in the Carrefour centre commercial. Again, the coffee is fine, but it is at the cafés in town, too.

Coppa's girl said...

Never fear - it just needs Bob to de-threaten that terrible tree, and the Old Farmer's Christmas decorations, and all will be well !
It's very distressing that something as worthwhile as the dogs has been axed, when so many other useless things are allowed to flourish. Is there no compassion for the poor souls who will lose their companion?

Unknown said...

The picture of the horses is very beautiful.
Apparently worthy programs aiding veterans can be cut without explanation now that remembrance day is behind us.
A shame indeed.

Unknown said...

So sad about the dog program, shocking really. Can we not raise our voices in some way? Lovely pictures as always. I think the tree looks very similar to one we saw in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Jake of Florida said...

A double orange whammy today: the ending of the dog/wounded warrior program and the reversal of the ruling prohibiting animal trophies from being brought into the US. Elephants are weeping as am I.

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

Starbucks and a modernistic concrete Christmas tree - What is your corner of France coming too?

I had to grin at your posting about the Wounded Warriors from WTOP - They are my "go to" for local news. But you're right about the program being suspended. An update on their facebook page said:

"We have yet to receive any new information regarding the reasons for the interruption, but we will continue to seek those answers and provide more information as it becomes available. Our programs at other locations continue to operate as usual."

They do a lot of good work, and there is no doubt they are truly making a difference. --Unlike the politicians in Washington right now.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Our little town installs a Christmas "cone" every year in the square. With it's festive lights and ornaments the size of dinner plates, it tries but can't quite manage, the effect of a real tree. Still, it's something.