There are some days that are special, they can be special for all sorts of reasons.

Today has been one of those days. Not because that with the roofers finishing yesterday we could enjoy breakfast without our dose of French europop. Nor because the man arrived to fix the TV aerial, this leading to a little dancing session of excitement in the front garden – hurrah.

Could it be because the washing line got reinstated or maybe that I got a huge amount of shed three completed? Nope!

Just for future reference it’s not because Huddersfield Town are top of the Championship either.

Today was special because it represented the start of autumn and that’s because today was the day the cranes came over us. We are lucky enough to be directly under their flight path and I can tell you anyone who is in the same position is alive to that ‘hooting’ sound and the flying formation that you see. We might get some more tomorrow but that’ll be it for this year.

So there it is – Autumn officially starts today.

ttfn

I know what you’re thinking, is it possible for anything to look so cute! Put simply – no.

But as ever looks can be deceptive this dog has an alter ego, Moriarty is what we should have called him. Every Laurel has his Hardy every Crosby faces upto a Sinatra and here you can see my nemesis – Mr Cedric.

This is my first dog, although I’ve thought about having one for a long time. For reasons too tedious to mention he is a Lagotto and this fact alone is enough to get you a conversation. I think he knows it! In fact I think that he purposely passes some people by knowing he’s going to get you into a conversation you weren’t looking for.

Its easy to tell when Mr C has got something he shouldn’t have. He trots. No shuffling or running, no keeping to the corners. Nope he trots with his tail held high and a jaunty look in his eye. If he could wear a trilby at an angle that’s what he would be doing and that the time to check your ‘stuff’ because I’ll bet you anything you like, you’ll be missing something you thought you had.

This was yesterday as we meandered our way through the woods below the Chais de Vaure. It’s a lovely walk if you’re ever in these parts and I’ll talk you around other parts of it another time but if you do take that red route from the centre of the village, remember keep checking you’re stuff, my little soldier can strike at any time – woof!

today was the day I finally realised we are going to be in France and able to think longer term, not just for holidays. tFrom, like, next month.   A series of events worked together to make us realise we could pay off what we owed (yes, thank you, HMRC) and move our UK possessions lock stock and barrel to a small village in the Gironde, about 15 minutes from St Emilion.

So who are we?  I am Deb – many many years a senior manager in local government and the main man is John, an engineer of many years experience.  More importantly, John is a writer (you will see the quality of this crap increase exponentially when he is the contributor) and I am a cook and gardener. We met and married late in life – just a couple of years ago, here in France.

Here we are