While we are aiming for a very quiet Christmas, the run up is anything but, with friends over from the UK, a group Christmas lunch, a Children in Need raffle and wine and cheese party, and other less festive events too. Yesterday we were in Chinon for a bit of DIY and beer purchasing, but in order to get to the brewery, we had to go via the centre of town, which was in full Christmas Market mode. There were all the usual suspects - food stalls, crafts, smelly things, Santa, too many people - but there was also a novelty, an Arctic Queen and her retinue of arctic foxes!
These amazing puppets and their attendant dancers came from Paris and spread a bit of enchantment through the town. After dark, they were part of the main parade and the foxes were lit up within so they glowed, but we didn't stay to see that. It was a lovely interlude.
After my chuntering last weekend, on Monday we had a lovely, sunny morning, so the golden leaves on the apple tree looked a lot more appealing.
Tuesday afternoon was dedicated to dealing with firewood, including bringing back from the One Acre Wood the stashes of logs and branches we had left standing around to dry. The cyclamen flowers are now all over, but the next joy is looking to see where there are cyclamen corms developing, particularly new ones self-seeded from the existing plants. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish the young leaves from ivy leaves, but this new plant is very clear.
Thursday afternoon was spent waiting for and then observing the work of a water company employee at the house of a friend in Fougere. I'll not bore you with the works, but while that was going on, I went for a bit of a walk and found the village lavoir or wash house. Most villages around here still have these, fed by a local stream or spring, and while not used for their original purpose, they are a carefully preserved bit of village heritage. The doorway and cross beams were too low for me to stand comfortably, a clear sign that I am taller than the average peasant lady of 100 years ago. I should add that I can remember seeing people using a lavoir not so far away when I was a child aged 6 or 7.
With the year coming to an end, it was only right that we stripped the village float of its disguise for the 2025 Comice, ready to design and build its new get up for 2026. It was a happy band of 7 of us that attacked the task with gusto on Friday - another lovely day - and were able to clear it of everything apart from the wooden structure of the fireplace. We'll leave that for the new year.
Friday was indeed another lovely day, and we were able to work in the hangar with no heating and little padding. It is way too warm at the moment, after a few days of frost at the end of November. As evidence, there were flowers on the Fergus memorial rose!
Next week is another packed week, ending with the Bauge en Anjou Christmas Fair. Sadly I don't think we will have giant fox puppets dancing around the town, but there are sure to be lights, hot drinks, stalls full of crafts and tat and things that are far too sweet for me nowadays. I will finish with a final fox picture, and wish you a good week ahead.
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