Boy has this month flown by. We have been in Brittany house sitting and we only have a week to go. The temperature has changed from Winter to Spring (hopefully a one-way decision). We have been super lucky in that our first real Winter has been such a mild one. It is amazing how fast the finches have changed colors. We have grown attached to the 3 dogs and 2 cats. And we have not been bored with the goats and chickens and ducks; they are so entertaining. They have been more stressful to take care of than the giant dogs and one old cat and one really naughty one. The goats are jumping into the chicken enclosure by jumping from their house to the chicken house. The duck got stung by the electric fence and then wouldn’t go into its house. We’re getting eggs, so that evens out the trouble. Mark fixed up some old bikes so we can toole around. Us not having helmets is so scary; but there is not a car or hill around for quite a distance, I keep telling him, we will be okay.
So it wasn’t one way (the weather). It got cold and rainy again. It was so windy one night that is blew the gate away. A metal gate big enough for a car or tractor to pass through. Of course we let the dogs out before we noticed we did not have a secure enclosure. Got ’em back easy enough, with food.
We took the couple that loaned us a car (Colin and Audrey) out for a nice French meal. Even out in the sticks, the French do not mess around with cooking. Such quality food we have never experienced. Not cheap (at all), but worth it.
We had a quiet time here in Chateaubriant France. But some drama too. We visited a dentist; I got my hair cut. We did some gardening and worked to tame the little goat. Saw some wildlife and had long walks in the country. We found some caterpillars called Pine Processionary Caterpillars. They kill dogs. No lie. We were warned about them but we did not expect to see them this early in the year here in France. They were traveling across the dirt road we were walking the dogs. They are moving head to tail so close they looked like a 4’ stick. We did not go that route anymore.
We are headed to Madrid Spain for touristing for 5 days before we start another house sit in rural Spain.