Fog and frost today. Very cold, quite miserable, and last night we received the first request to save power, with some potential for power cuts today. I don’t believe that we shall be affected by a cut here but wondering whether or not it is my civic responsibility not to run the washing machine…
Unconcerned overall regarding power cuts as our heating comes from a woodburner, I have a hob that runs on bottled gas (though the oven is electrically powered, many meals can be made without it and I have a Mr D’s “thermal cooker” at my disposal) and we have candles for lighting. If the worst comes to the worst we can go live in the van – though it looks as though we are abandoning our outline plan to go away from this weekend.
Last night’s Press Conference revealed that restaurants are to remain closed beyond the 20th of this month. The French Govt seems adamant at present that there should not be another lockdown but we have yet to know the damage done by the festive period. There is a suggestion that a nearby Department (Deux-Sèvres) in our Region may be joining the curfew system but Vienne remains out of that for now. Happily, the vaccination effort appears to be gaining a little momentum at last.
We had to rescue Dusty from a fox snare yesterday. Thankfully he appears physically unharmed but unfortunately he had a cold and hungry night and wasn’t able to have his breakfast until lunchtime after he had been found and released. He seems subdued and spent more time than usual in the house last night, some of it apparently on top of a drum. He had snuck under the sheeting draped over the drum kit and obviously attempted to kip on a snare… until it rotated on the stand and dropped him off it. Currently he is on his chair by the fire and I am keeping an eye on him!
Today I shall be making a hearty stew, with dumplings. It’s certainly the weather for it. I cannot recall the last time that I ate dumplings and I am really looking forward to them.
Tomorrow is Date Night and an impromptu trip to Lidl yesterday afternoon has furnished a nice low-effort meal. There is Smoked Salmon to start and a mustard-coated Pork Fillet roast for the main, with truffled Aligot to accompany it. Dessert is a frozen confection of Macaron with cream and Raspberries. We also have the Tête de Moine to go at for the cheese course. It looks as though I get to put my feet up again!