A little fun in the sun, ooops I mean Snow

We've spent the weeks unpacking a few boxes each day and storing the contents. The kitchen being the most important was tackled first, however, the packers have a logic we cannot comprehend. We not only found items in boxes from different cupboards but from different floors. But amidst the boxes and paper we unwrapped "gifts". These familiar items were from family and friends and as each one appeared we remembered the occasion, the person, the good times and the reason we had been given each one and we smiled, and so our prior life has been incorporated into our new home with special and endearing memories.
 We are still missing items since we don't want to unpack  boxes marked 'decor' or with other non practical names . 
We have enough kitchen cupboards but not enough drawers. However, in the other rooms everything seems to fit somewhere. We have a good sized laundry/pantry off the kitchen which we will remake into a shelved overflow space
The barn has become the depot for those boxes which have been unpacked and the commune recycling guy, Coco, took away five boxes last week; many more to go. He comes with his tractor hauling a trailer the first Thursday of each month or we can go to the recycling bins in Villemain 2 kms away.
The bedroom floorboards/living room ceiling boards  are one and the same and we have decided to install soundproofing between the ceiling beams and this will soon mean a dusty, disheveled living room for a while and so we have not bothered to properly set it up but we are comfy and warm.  

It was quite exciting and novel for us when we had a little snow last week and it had disappeared by the next morning which we knew to be the norm.

Saturday night we went to a fundraiser for the country of Togo in western African and enjoyed a lovely meal and company. It was bitter cold that night and felt nothing like Togo (I only know this from the tropical photos).  Sunday morning we awoke to a winter wonderland of SNOW (4"). There was no wind and the fat flakes fell gently. It was beautiful. Most of northern Europe has been affected by the severally below freezing temperatures which have claimed the lives of over 260 people. Even the Venetian canals froze over!

From pool boy to wood boy

Area residents say this an anomaly since for many, many years there has not been below freezing temperatures lasting as many consecutive days and nights. Some years even there isn't any snow.

Brian keeps the home fires burning with the wood stored in the outbuilding behind him. One wheelbarrowful lasts two days.

Angus was not quite sure what to make of the white stuff that created frozen balls on his paws and legs and made it difficult not to have a frigid bum while doing his business. But he has adjusted.



In certain parts of France when it snows, the world stops - schools are closed and the lesser streets are left unploughed. Brian drove 30km/20m to Ruffec, 15km of which was on snowy roads and he passed exactly one car.


Purchasing a TV online story:
At the house closing we were given an Attestation which states we own our property. For reasons unknown it is practice to use females' maiden names. To prove I was who I said I was I emailed the Attestation and my passport to the TV company's security division .  Because of this maiden name practice on the Attestation, but despite my three other names matching from my passport we could not resolve the "purchasing a TV from a company with an absurd security policy" issue and so they have  refunded our money. Luckily, I found a bigger, better, less expensive TV online and it will be delivered tomorrow - weather permitting.
 The TV delivery driver called last week to alert us of date and time. The electric company man had to recalibrate our meter for the program we chose - cheaper electric from midnight to 8am. He was to arrive on Thursday between 10 and 11 and lo and behold he was here at exactly 10.  Brian's experiences at Mr. Bricolage, France's Home Depot, have been less than sterling and stories abound about the lack of service from many companies' personnel. In general, customer care doesn't exist at most companies.  Having said that, our TV was delivered on time and by two polite guys who also took away the old analog set.
Brian bought a portable electric heater for the upstairs bathroom.  When he plugged it in it blew a fuse. We had heard antidotes  about french electrics but little did we know how complicated a breaker box can be. No such thing as easily pulling out the old one and replacing it. Unfortunately, along with the downstairs hallway lights the water heater is on the same circuit, so no hot water. It has been extremely cold and so now the pipes which service the bathrooms have frozen but the kitchen cold water is still running. We are not the only ones with water problems, Linda and Rod have hot but no cold water so also can't shower. We all have now joined the ranks of the "great unwashed"!
The electrician will be here tomorrow.
I think I remember now why we moved to Florida from Chicago....

The little birds are fed every day by Brian and it is most enjoyable watching their antics. We have small fluffy European robins, one of which is very bossy, sparrows and yellow finches

which hang upside downfrom the suet ball container. They are so well trained they lined up perfectly for me to photograph.....

Blooming snowdrops had graced the garden but sadly now are truly buried and because early winter had been mild some other bulbs had emerged, green stalks stretching for the sun but they too are under la neige. What a colorful bounty it will be when they finally bloom in springtime.

Saturday
I must write about today's adventures.
The electrician, Trevor, was to be here at 1. At 1:15 he called. He had skidded into the ditch and flattened two signs just up the street. Brian brought him to our house then went to Madam neighbor's house, explained the situation and she kindly phoned Coco. However, Coco was out "imbibing" with ses amis" (his friends) so his wife advised Madam to call another man with a tractor. He came, he looked, then declared the van could be unstuck without the tractor. After a few pushes and rocking back and forths Brian was able to drive it through the field and back onto the road. We have written and delivered a letter to the mayor to apprise him of the damage. Poor Trevor. He did change the fuse but still no hot water yet. Brian is using a hair blower to possibly, hopefully help the saint of frozen pipes unfreeze them but I think we'll just have to wait for next week's great thaw which in its self could cause more problems.

Yup, that's what we couldn't wait for - home ownership! 

 Such FUN!!

                                   Pampas/Sawgrass in sun and snow