Spring colour!

Yesterday saw the return of the sun after a lapse of a few days and it made all the flowers burst back into life, today is the same so it's back out into the grounds today for more work which is always a treat in the spring.
We'd like to wish all our 'blog-followers' a very happy easter weekend, don't eat too much chocolate!!

Early morning mist

Taken at the end of my early morning walk, the above shows the Haybarn gite just as the sun was breaking through the early morning mist and at the start of the walk, a view across the Vezere to the face of Le Roque.

We've had a couple of days of showers interspersed with a few sunny spells so has been a bit of a change from the beautiful weather we've had before that. Everything is now turning green as the trees are starting to get their leaves and the birds are now in full nest building mode! Our swallows returned last Sunday, an amazing sight when they arrived, four of them that must be the same family from last year, circled over the house then all dived in single file straight into the boiler room where last years nest still remains. The Black Redstarts (small picture right) have also returned, building nests in the same places as 2011, one in the main barn and the other in an air vent in the Walnut Store gite wall, all great to see and will let you know as things progress.

Original river crossing.

Opposite Les Granges is a very old track that, before Le Moustier bridge was built in 1872, led to the original crossing point of the river Vezere used by the ancient inhabitants of the Roque St Christophe and surrounding villagers. I've been told that a ferry ran between the end of the track to the opposite side of the river, plus there was a ford at some point nearby but at present i can't find out the exact location of this, but I will keep trying to find out and let you all know!

Spectacular sunset

Now that the snow has gone, we are still getting some very cold evenings and early mornings but during the day it is bright, sunny and warm. The birds are busy exploring sites for nesting, most of the daffodils are all out now, so all is ready for the spring...at last! We're looking forward to our first sightings of the Cranes and their returning up to the north, plus our swallows will be back, can't wait!!

Nuts anyone?!

After the sighting of a very healthy and well fed mouse that was residing in our walnut drying racks we decided we better bag-up last years crop of walnuts to hide them away from our overweight little friend. Not sure how many kilograms of nuts there are in the wheelbarrow but there will be plenty to hand out to our visitors in the coming year and enough for Philippa to make some more of her special gateaux aux noix!

Ice flow!

Yesterdays walk to the boulangerie was a very interesting one, firstly the river Vezere was full of ice that was flowing at great pace down river (below) after the temperature had soured from -16.5 degrees in the morning to just above freezing in the afternoon, after taking the picture i spotted what at first i thought was either an otter or beaver swimming at the side of the river dodging the ice blocks as it swam, it turns out after a bit of internet research, it was a Coypu, it's body about 40cms long and a tail of about half its body length, a great and surprising sight that means from now on i'll be on the look out for more sightings of them!

It's cold....very cold!

These pictures taken last Sunday show our first snow this winter, temperatures haven't got above freezing since then and will not be for a while yet. The little figure in the picture below is Philippa walking to a neighbours house in Le Moustier (who has returned to England for a few days) to let the chickens out, needless to say, the chickens weren't that interested in getting out of there hut, don't blame them really!