A Horse, A Dog, And Various Cats.

This blog is dedicated to a Irish couple and their gorgeous dog, that we met a few days ago. They are moving to Daglan in the near future. Welcome.

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A Horse, A Dog

Just by chance I was weeding the plant pots on our garden wall yesterday, when a gorgeous horse, rider and dog came around the corner. The horse was described as an old, gentle lady and her best friend the dog, who go everywhere together.

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And Various Cats

We are often asked about our cats, how many now and how they are. All five are very well and enjoying the sunny, lazy days of summer.

The above picture is of Loki fast asleep in one of our vine pots.

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This is Felu who spends much of the day wrapped around the other vine pot at the other side of our veranda.

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Spot is our smallest cat, she is fully grown but only kitten size. This does not stop her from having the loudest voice of all of the cats.

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Angel relaxing on top of my wardrobe who is twelve years old now and our own cat that we adopted from the RSPCA in England. The other four cats we have adopted in France. Well to be honest, they adopted Paul and I.

Unfortunately, we do not have a recent picture of Fluffy, who is Spots brother because when the weather is warm he does not come into the house or the courtyard but prefers to eat outside and then roam around the area.

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Events:-

Summer Party at Domme, musical entertainment and pyrotechnics. 17^th June

European Archaeological days at the National Museum of Prehistory at Les Eyzies 17^th and 18^th June.

Music Festival in Sarlat 21^st June

Rock Music at La Roque-Gageac 21^st June

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Angel’s Birthday.

Our adorable cat Angel has just turned twelve, so a celebration of reaching this age was given to her. Tuna for her breakfast and cat treats plus lots of photographs throughout the day. Angel loves to have her picture taken, it is why she is very pleased when the tourist season starts. She will sit outside our garden gate and pose for anyone with a camera.

Angel is the cat posing for the camera.

It is only about a year ago that she has started to let other cats come into the house without hissing etc. To go onto the bed was not allowed at all. So this is her first picture with Loki, partly visible at the top of the picture, Spot lying comfortably on my knee and Felu, fast asleep on the edge of he bed.

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She can still show the other cats that she is able to climb onto my wardrobe.

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This is her best friend Felu, we do not know why but she loves to have him near by. The comfort blanket that Angel is resting on was given to her when the RSPCA rescued her with five other cats when she was about one year old. It it a little worn now but I would not take it from her, she loves it.

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Belves Medieval Festival.

Belves excelled itself once again for the Medieval Festival last Sunday, with parades, musicians, jugglers, knights and much more. In soaring temperatures the first parade began hailing the turning back of time to the Medieval period.

All of society from that period was shown with the very rich to the very poor walking through the streets to the delight of the many tourists who flocked to the town to see and enjoy the day’s evens.

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Magnificat costumes where seen through out the various parades.

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Dancing around the medieval market square and through the various stalls which sold artisan clothes, wooden swords and leather goods.

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The ladies and gentlemen of nature who would perform various Medieval dances for the crowds of people watching near by.

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The knights in armour who performed combat routines after the parade was completed.

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Next came the French guards and the inquisitor who pulled a women and four men from the audience to stand trial! Their crime was that they were all English and should be punished. The women was placed into the cage and the men had to pull the cage. With beaming smiles they participated in the event much to the delight of their friends and families.

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My favourite as always are the goblins and cats who growl their way through the many streets of Belves.

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The very poor walked with the goblins and cat people who walked on stilts while performing a juggling act with fire.

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The Medieval Festival lasted all day with a banquet, fireworks and more parades to complete the day.

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Events:-

St Cyprien Firemen’s Ball 13^th August.

Medieval Murder Party at night in Les Eyzies 15^th August.

Instant Gourmand in the Cave at Domme 16^th August.

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Cat Hotel.

When I tell anyone about the increasing number of cats that are attracted to our home people will say “Oh a cat hotel”. A few of the cats will come inside to spend the day and then go outside at night time. Another cat only enters our home for breakfast and a quick play and then is not seen until dinner time. While the rest just like to keep warm and sleep through the cold winter months. So yes, a cat hotel sounds about right.

“I love attention and keeping warm”. The neighbours cat Felou

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“I love to roll around the Christmas paper until I am a parcel”. Angel, our own cat who adores Christmas.

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“If this wrapping paper moves I will be ready for it”. Spot one of our stray cats. is the smallest cat who although fully grown is only kitten size and she is adorable.

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“My coat is so thick and gorgeous, I look like a person in the 1930’s wearing a dinner jacket with a white shirt and black and white shoes”. Loki, the mischievous one.

Loki is coming out of his shell and has started to play with cat toys. Yesterday he had one end of a cat string and Spot had the other. Then Loki decided to take the string under the bed while Spot was still biting the opposite end. I had the thought of little Spot slowly being dragged under the bed so I had to help by diverting Loki’s attention to another cat toy.

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“I can run inside this cat tunnel, back wards and forwards until I get so excited that I run around the lounge, sending cat toys everywhere”. Fluffy is the only stray cat that will not stay in the home for long but it is so good seeing him enjoy himself.

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Events:-

Marche de Noel at Beynac on the 4^th and fifth of December.

Sarlat Marche de Noel is from the 8^th to the 31^st December.

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October In The Perigord.

‘Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ (Ode to Autumn, John Keats) is one of my favourite English poems which applies equally to France, if not more so. It is a tranquil time when the tourist crowds dwindle and we see the last of the large motor homes leave the area until next year.

Look no forest.

Bright sunshine through in the afternoon is still here, which is a welcome relief from the often misty and chilly start to the day. It is a gathering time from the last of the grape harvest and the start of the gorgeous walnut and mushroom picking period of the year.

until later in the day

One morning you can wake to sky’s of azure blue and a frosting of ice, the next day to bitter cold and damp ‘pea soup,’ (dense fog) that hides the buildings, church and the forest from view. There is a plus side to this time of year which I love, first is the roaring of the stag, that low deep noise is just amazing. Secondly, is the ‘mist’ which caused the illusion of castles in the sky, a truly magical experience.

Château de Castelnaud-la-Chapelle floating above the mist.

Thirdly, is the gorgeous colouring of the changing leaves from green to the splendid russet colour.

Later on in the month much of the forest will also change to a gorgeous golden colour before the leaves fall to the ground. To create habitats for creatures to burrow under to escape the winter chill.

Gorgeous views when the sun is bright in the afternoon.

Over the years I have become accustomed to planning for winter a lot more than I ever did in England. Do we have enough wood and oil to last us through the winter months. A good stock of candles is a must just in case we have power cuts. Plenty of bread flour, yeast, jams, chutney to be stored in the pantry. Not forgetting a good supply of cat food just in case we get iced or snowed in and we cannot get to the big supermarket. Last but not least, buying vegetables to freeze for the winter months ahead. Yesterday for example we made pumpkin soup, today vegetable soup and tomorrow potato and leek soup. Which all adds to our winter store of seasonal vegetables.

It is still possible to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.

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