The English Paysanne

Poor Fizz spent yesterday and last night at the vets. I picked her up this morning after she had an operation to remove a burst abscess very near her derierre, which is now very blue after being sprayed with a bacterial spray. She meowed all the way there in the car and all the way back. After being told she had had breakfast this morning I thought she would be pleased to be back home and take up her usual place on the chair. She wasn't. She obviously hadn't had a fizz size portion of breakfast for she didn't let up meowing,after having elevenses she was in and out of the house not knowing what to do with herself. Thankfully this evening she is back to her normal grumpy self asleep on the chair until chuck out time tonight.

   Yeterday here in France it was Mothers Day.It rained most of the day.  I was spoilt with presents and lunch cooked by Miss F and Master C, even home made rolls, farmer J done a good job of the washing  and clearing up left by his two children.

A moment from the week at La Singlarie We've had a bit of dodgy weather yesterday evening, have yet to check out the veggie garden for casualties, boy did it tip it down.

 It was time to move the cows again at La Contie, this time in the pouring rain which isn't much fun. It's not the walking with them that takes the time its the setting up temporary fencing and bailing twine along the roads to stop them from going where they shouldn't be. Then the moving of their water tank and trailer and taking it all up again once they have been moved. They were very well behaved even nearly walking along the sides of the roads, a lot better than Sorrel on her walks she obviously needs to spend a bit of time with our bovines.

The strawberries are just starting to turn in the veggie patch but there is also a thief stealing them as quickly as they ripen. No its not the snail I found on the side of the road as I waited at the garage for farmer J to arrive. This is the first snail of the eating kind I have seen since living here still in its shell and alive with no butter or garlic around. No our strawberry thief has a bit of fur around her and a nose for smelling. I couldn't pick them quick enough but the training "leave it " is working with a pot in front of her Sorrel posed for a photo. ( I know if I wasn't around they would all be scoffed as quick as two shakes to tail) but she did manage to place her paws either side of the little courgette plant. she may be gardeners aid in training, but I doubt it!

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Ali threw my bestest frog toy on the roof as she is useless as throwing, she thinks the carrot is just as good - its not.

Fencing remodelled by Vanille and Bambo Waiting for the big outside Supervisor, on  a line due to easy access to chicks, she is a hunter after all Taking up the fence Caught on a nap Oi you've missed a bit The donkeys are in the bad books (again ) after insisting the grass is greener on the other side. While munching on the grass in the chicks (who are now old enough to go outside) run they have managed to push and push the wire fence down making it completely useless for keeping chickens in, perhaps that was their plan to make an easy breakout for the chicks to run free - it hasn't worked. Yesterday the bad girls were moved to the hanger and small field attached where there are no trees for them to eat, animals to let loose or fences to push down, as they have an electric fence all round. At least Tempete should be happy, since the cows left the hanger his had only the chickens and ducks to try and make friends with, lets hope the donkeys are mo...

Today is Sorrel's  gotcha day, a year ago she came here unable to walk or eat for fear. Very slowly and boy has it taken a while she is becoming a dog who is enjoying life. Still incredibly scared of strangers we have overcome many of our fears and anxieties and had an event full year. Today I can wait for my special cake   A year ago I stole any food I could But I slowly felt at home With lots of cuddles And following my mate Sometimes wet Franklin showed me how to play Trying to make friends with Fizz was hard But my mate let me share his bed I went through my puppy stage Enjoyed being brushed And learnt to enjoy walks And chilling out Posing Having to find my own food Dressing for Christmas Bet you wish you had this one Bringing friends back after our walk Finding my safe place sniffing Gardening My best toy Action shot Out and about, t...

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Work in progress. 

Just as we were on our last leg of our walk yesterday evening the thing that every dog owner dreads happened.(it was Friday 13th after all and the day had been event free) Sorrels lead snapped, had there not been a scent of a deer I may of been able to get her back but there was and off she went like a crazy banshee dog baking her head off down through the woods. I trundled home alone in the hope she would return I even went for a drive down our back road along the river up the other side of the woods passing our farm again to head down the main road to the river then back up our small road but its a bit like searching for a needle in a hay stack with so many woods and fields for her to trek over. So I waited at home, thinking it will be a poster on the bins and alerting chien perdu and various refuges but four hours later around 10.30pm I heard her medals on her collar jangling. She had managed to find her way back thankfully.Soaking wet and a bit hungry she settle on the se...

This morning, like each morning Tempete is waiting outside by the hanger for his breakfast to come. Only this morning he was in for a shock as his breakfast didn't come only the humiliation of being put in a chicken crate. He didn't fit in the borrowed cat crate. It was a n early start as he needed to be at the V.E.T's for 8.30am for a little booked in operation we have been waiting for. At 9 months old it was time for him to loose those bits to stop the many kittens you see around this rural part of France. He wasn't best pleased, not sure if it was him missing breakfast or being in a chicken crate but he meowed all the way to the vets. Only to asked by the vet am I sure I want him castrated as his such a good looking cat and not the feral farm cat she was expecting. I was a little surprised as the vets is going under major building work to enlarge it and I think its going to be pretty posh, take your shoes off at the door sort of Jobie so thought she may nee...