45 days to go....ho ho ho

One of my most devoted clients <3

Hello Lovely People
It is very wet. It has been very wet for a few days now. This is not a complaint.....more, an observation. In our area there was 80mm after the big rain last weekend. And that was not a lot. One of my market trading colleagues lost the roof from his tunnel last weekend. He had just replaced it, and now will have to do it again. Not part of his winter plan of action.
There is an interesting climate in the Dordogne where in the space of a few days you can go from a balmy 24 degrees to having ice on the windscreen and lighting both fires in the house. I admit that I was not quite prepared for that when we moved here 15 years ago, however one does become used to it.
The grass is growing, or at least it was until this morning, and other than moving all the young stock into the fields with a choice of warm and dry barn, or some brisk fresh air in the field, things continue as normal. The rams are in with the old girls and appear to be doing what it is they do at this time of year to provide us with next years harvest. 

The waterlogged field next to our sheep grazed grassy field which is not waterlogged. Organic matter in action.

I am also doing what I usually do at this time of year....Christmas shopping! I spent a very productive day in Perigueux making in-roads into my lists which this year included stocking up with butchery supplies and the more conventional present hunt. My friend and I decided to try Perigueux this year, after the girls at my french conversation group said it was one of their favourite places to shop. They were not wrong. As a departmental capital it has all the main shop brands available in France and boutique style shops as well, with all the convenience that comes with a smaller town including not having to drive for hours to A:get there, and B:cross from one side of town to the other, and also not too many people. I am such a country bumpkin these days crowds make me anxious, or am I misinterpreting that for irritated ;)
It was such a good day I am toying with the idea of returning to complete my list of things to get.

Perigueux Cathedral

The new market in Chalais seems to be going quite well. I have rediscovered a few faces I have not seen for some time and met some people who did not even know we existed. Interestingly the Berkshire pork seems to be going down very well with the locals in Chalais. Patrick is going to be investigating saucisson production very soon. If we are very lucky there may be some for Christmas. 
See you all very soon
Helen