Hole in the fence, bargains and Autumn colour

One evening earlier this week I asked my worker to put the poultry on the field away for the night.   Somehow, although no hole could be found in the fence, a baby Lavender Pekin had managed to get into a neighbour’s field and couldn’t be caught and brought back.   Also the majority of my ducks had escaped to the goat field.  The ducks were rounded up and put away, but thank goodness it was Andy and not me trying to do it in the twilight.  Sometimes I question the wisdom of keeping poultry.  Before I let the birds out the next morning, I found the hole and did an instant temporary repair.  All birds were present and correct in the evening when I put them away so it obviously did the trick.  Andy will attach another strip of fencing over the existing piece when he comes tomorrow.  It’s all very frustrating – I don’t know what makes these holes and have never ever seen it happening.

We had a bit of sunshine today after two really grey days and one torrentially rainy night. It was really mild and at one point I regretted lighting the woodburner. I always have the double doors to the terrace open unless it’s blowing a gale as I love the combination of feeling the warmth of the fire but having the fresh air coming in from outside. I know it’s not very “green”, but it’s the way I like it.

Apparently, I didn’t quite close the driver’s window in the Peugeot last night and when I went out in it this morning the whole of the inside of the door was soaked and the door pocket filled with water.  My “waiting in places” paperback was in the door pocket and it's currently being dried over the woodburner.  It’ll never been quite the same, but at least I will be able to finish it! 

We drove a very tortuous route to collect four chairs and a table which were being sold by someone returning to England.  The person arranging the sale turned out to be the wife of the plumber we used for the utility/gym area, these little coincidences always amuse me.  The sun was catching the turning leaves on the trees and they were exceptionally beautiful.   When we got back and parked the Land Rover I noticed the very yellow-leaved tree behind my neighbour’s tower - lovely isn't it?

 

The table top needs sanding and varnishing to make it acceptable for use, but the four chairs were a good buy and I’m pleased to have them for the middle house.  I think I’ve now had bargains for three sets of dining chairs over the years I’ve been here.   My own kitchen/dining table must originally have been a restaurant table as it has a metal disc engrave with the number “1” inserted in the top.  It’s a brilliant table of just over 6ft across and we can seat eight/nine people around it.   Again this needed sanding and varnishing and then it was like new.

The chairs round this table were bought on eBay for £12 the set of four, with a spare seat.  They were in Oxfordshire, miles from me in Brittany or my children in Cornwall.   My daughter and oldest son drove to London Airport just after I bought them and made a small diversion to collect them for me.   I love a bargain!

Purrdy has been sitting on my laptop today with her legs hidden underneath her.  I hate moving her but have to get on with things.  She''s grown so much in the last few weeks, she'll soon be a proper cat.

I wasn’t going to write about my bypass and weight loss on this blog, but am happy to report that I have now lost five stone (seventy pounds) in sixteen weeks.  I feel very different, can do things I couldn’t do before and it’s good.  My eating which has been very difficult seems, this week, to be improving, so perhaps I’m turning a corner – I do hope so! 

Three things I like:

1. Watching birds eating unpicked and deteriorating grapes from the vine on the gym wall.
2. Seeing all the autumn colours in the trees down the lanes.
3. Talking to friends on Skype – what a wonderful invention!