Crooked House

A country life in France

Comforting

How do I choose? There is so very much that I could be doing. I am suffering from Opportunity Paralysis! … Continue readingComforting

Strolling in Company

Today we were able to share our dog walk for the first time since we arrived home from Provence last Tuesday. A new Attestation form has been published and it is more clear (and more generous) on the exercise conditions. We may exercise for up to one hour and the start time must be written onto the form. We may share our walk with a member of the same household. The walk should be restrictedContinue readingStrolling in Company

One down

Today we can say that we have survived our first week of lockdown. The time has passed quickly. Good weather is helping to keep our spirits up. Both house and garden are looking neater and tidier but there is scope for further time-filling both inside and out. Feeling much better since it was clarified last evening that we may walk out with the dog for up to an hour. I had been told that itContinue readingOne down

A Spring Wedding

Day four of the lockdown and it is entirely possible that I am going slightly bonkers but I have a little tale to tell you. Whilst practising my social distancing – out with Nell and my camera, I found myself among the hub and bub of a Spring Wedding. How come? You might well ask. Well, here’s what happened… I was admiring the Blackthorn bushes and thinking that how, when they are burdened with blossom,Continue readingA Spring Wedding

Feeling at ease

Day 3 of the lockdown is both warm and sunny. The last of my post-holiday laundry was out on the line before I walked the dog and was taken in when we returned. We have no fire lit again and all of the doors and windows are open to admit the warm air. It is so pleasant to be able to do this with no traffic passing by! I walked through a carpet of yellowContinue readingFeeling at ease

Plenty To Be Doing

We arrived home from Provence yesterday, on the day that France imposed stringent movement restrictions (known by many as a “lockdown”). We did not quite get home in time for the midday curfew, so we had our movement certificate duly filled in. There was a major lack of food in the house, given that we emptied all cupboards and turned off the freezer before leaving on our long winter trip at the end of October.Continue readingPlenty To Be Doing

Lovely Weather for Ducks

It was tipping down this morning and had been doing so all night. Our Google Assistant tells us that it is going to rain until 10pm tonight, making that a good 24 hours continuous downpour. She says it will start again at 7am tomorrow and continue all day. This is setting the scene for my saying that I really did not feel like going walkies today! I made myself go on the grounds that freshContinue readingLovely Weather for Ducks

Give us a break

The ditches are full to the brim and there is standing water on the fields. We have had rain, not exactly in biblical quantities but more or less persistently (with the occasional sunny break) for days and there is more coming. It is grey and some might think it dismal (certainly the Iberian sunshine feels like it was a long time ago and my tan is beginning to fade) but I see the lambs andContinue readingGive us a break