April at Chenevaux

The warm weather is taking its time arriving.  We had a few lovely days in late March and then the temperature dropped again and we had a couple of hard frosts.  Unluckily, and once again, the peach and apricot trees had already blossomed so we may not get much fruit on these this year.  On the positive side, the cherries, apples, pears and plums have all held back and hopefully by the time they blossom we will have left winter behind for good.  This must have been the longest winter since we moved here - not particularly cold but really wet and dismal.  However we have managed to do a fair amount of outside work including rendering the back and side walls of the Farmhouse, laying slabs outside the two sets of french windows and creating a small patio area using the clay "tomettes" we rescued from the original upstairs flooring in the gite.

On Easter Sunday the first brocante of the year took place at Anglse sur l'Anglin - it was rather chilly to say the least!  The tabac/epicerie/cafe has recently moved to a building that has been renovated by the commune and now has two lovely terraces overlooking the ruined chateau.  They were serving vin chaud which seemed a very good idea!  Come the summer and the annual fireworks evening this looks as though it will be a prime spot for spectators. We came home and watched the boat race with the log burner blazing away.


A few days ago we spotted a new species of bird in the back garden.  Mark thought it was a blackbird at first but when we saw it again he realised it wasn't and has identified it, or them as it was a pair, as Ring Ouzels.  Apparently its common name is the "mountian blackbird"  and they inhabit wild open country.  We've never seen them here before and are wondering if they stopped to find food on their way back to the UK after wintering in the Med.


This week-end ( apart from watching the Grand National ), Mark is taking part in a national "Open Studios" event.  By chance the tourist office at La Roche Posay also asked if they could bring a group of visitors (16) on Thursday afternoon so we had a big spring clean and arranged all of the ceramics and paintings in the hope that some people will be interested and come along.  I've put out some of my jam, marmalade and chutney for people to taste as well.

  

The three large paintings on easels (only the middle one is finished) are based on rock formations on a beach, where the sea has eroded the rock into pools.

Having seen Carol Klein taking mahonia cuttings i've given it a go and they are in the greenhouse along with other bits and bobs from last year that are waiting to be planted out when the ground dries out a bit.  The veggie patch is covered with old tarpaulins to warm the soil ..... so everything is waiting to happen!