Rare sighting

Shadow and Henry often do not get on too well, we're not sure why, but they have frequent spats with each other. So it was a rare moment of entente cordiale to have them share the pouf. More precisely, Shadow normally has first dibs on it, but as Henry was already there and not prepared to move, Shadow decided to just sit on top of him. Mother cat's prerogative!

Snow!

When we returned from the UK last week we were astonished to see snow in the garden. It is the first time there has been snow here (enough to actually stay on the ground) for a very long time. So long in fact, no-one seems able to remember exactly when. This photo (of our succulents bed) was taken on Friday night just after we'd arrived back. It had snowed on the Wednesday and by morning it was all gone.

It's not a huge amount compared with the recent snowfalls in the UK, but enough for us to get excited about it.

Progress on front gate and railings

Here's what the front gate and railings were like:

Here's the work in progress. While we were in NZ our fantastic handyman, Steve, worked on all the (worst bits) of rubbing down, rust-proofing and starting to paint. We are now finishing the painting, doing a section at a time during some of the lovely warm, sunny days we are currently having. It's a long slow process, as anyone who has done Hammerlite painting will know, but we are getting there. It's also useful for getting to know people in the village, as everyone walking by stops for a chat or comment, even stopping their cars in the middle of the road with an encourageing 'bonne chance'. From our near neighbours we've found out it is 50 years since the railings were last painted. No wonder the village is taking an interest!

Snowshoeing in the New Year

A great New Year spent in Ax les Thermes in the Pyrenees, running a 3-day snowshoe trip. Excellent walks, plenty of snow, good weather, fantastic scenery, fabulous food and wine and great company. What a way to start the year.

New discoveries

A new year has seen us start redecorating again. Decided to strip the wallpaper off the hallways and prepare them for painting. We already knew about the hand-painted walls in the corridor which runs the length of the house, but the entrance hallway has revealed some beautiful art nouveau painted panels. They will have been the original wall decoration, done when the house was built in 1912.

So, now we are in a dilemma as to what to do with them. On one hand it seems a shame to cover them up, but on the other they do make the entrance hallway very dark. We have some time to make up our minds as we need to get some electrical work done first, so we're enjoying them in their natural state in the meantime. 

Happy Cats

We've just returned from a trip to the UK, during which there was a cold snap and even some snow in our village. As the cats weren't in the main part of the house while we were away, they are very, very pleased to be back on the sofa and sleeping the day away in front of the fire. Wellington and Henry have been cuddled up all day - except for when asking for food.

 Meanwhile, Shadow has commandeered the pouf and isn't moving for anyone. She works on the theory that if she can't see us then we can't see her either. The tough life of our cats ...