Our Lives in Sunrise Cottage

September 23 - September 30

Our trip was long but pleasant to our new place, "Sunrise Cottage".  First, we stopped by the supermarché in Ruffec for a few food supplies. Linda and Rod the owners who live in the middle of the building (lovingly referred to as the 'barn') met us, gave us the key and a few tips then we unpacked the car. Thank goodness we have a bigger vehicle as we seem to have accumulated more 'stuff'! Along with the purchase of the car (remember when you got a toaster if you opened a bank account?) we were given two portable DVD players and a 12 volt cooler. Sweet!

What a lovely surprise to find a welcome basket with food staples  and a bottle of Charentais rosé in the kitchen. So thoughtful.

Web link to the cottages

www.champgiraud.com/area.htm 

In a European Internet newsletter I had read about a photo festival being held at a small village in the Ruffec area during the month of September but had discounted it as we were not going to be there until October first. But, as we had arrived a week early and Linda reminded me about it, we said Let's Go.  It was a serene 6kms (4 miles) drive through the countryside. What luck to be so close! What an exhibition! Photos everywhere, some blown up to over 5 feet tall (top left in collage), others tacked onto wood attached to  hedges, more hanging from tree branches, some on stone walls. 100 professional French photographers displayed their work.

                     A selection of photographs                                  

There was food, wine and beer served from an old caravan, tables, chairs and odd furniture set up under the trees. We enjoyed a well deserved relaxing afternoon watching 

people of all ages partaking of the photo displays.

The weather has been perfect - blue skies, puffy white clouds, cool breezes and cooler nights.

We have looked at quite few houses during our stay but nothing that really interests us yet; we continue searching the Internet.

On the following Saturday we went with Linda and Rod to a big building with all sorts of second hand items for sale and then on Sunday to an open air village "boot sale"/"flea market"/"yard sale"/"vide grenier".

   Whatever term you use,  I call it

Same Sh*t Different Country ! But what fun we had looking at the bargains. Some of the old furniture was very impressive and reasonably priced.

Colorful   stalls

Potimarrons     (Is there a pumpkin under his T-Shirt?)

October - Autumnal days

The cottages set are amongst corn (maize) fields with possibly five vehicles, including farm equipment, passing by down the lane per day.

However... 

The first Sunday of October  - Great Excitement!

The Hunt Was On!

The hunters put up signs warning the general public that they are out in full force to kill anything moving......

They park their white vans, some with decals of hare or wild boar on the side panels, in a certain area then let the dogs out. They wear safety orange vests (the hunters, not the dogs), blow their horns, shoot off their guns then break for lunch.  A few glasses of wine consumed with their meals and they are ready to continue the ritual in the afternoon.

This was all together too much for Angus. He began running around barking with the dogs and at the vans as they were driven up and down the lane chasing whatever was in the dried out maize fields.

So, ever after Angus has taken it into his head that all vehicles traveling the lane are hunters with dogs and therefore must be barked at. Le chasse takes place on Sundays, Saturdays and Wednesdays with varying numbers of vehicles, dogs and men from September 1st until March. They cull the deer, wild boar and hares and occasionally but not often shoot a domestic animal or a human. 

Dangerous times, these hunting days.

On their early morning walks Brian and Angus have spotted deer on two occasions and a hare, but thankfully no wild boar (sanglier)  has come rushing out of the underbrush !

 We knew that 'Sunset' cottage was going to be occupied by an English couple (Roy and Susan or Sooozan as Roy says in his Yorkshire accent) and their black Labrador retriever  Breagha (Bree-a), Gaelic for lovely and that she is.

But, what we didn't know was now delightful they would be. Along with Linda and Rod we have happy hour on the gravel terrace every evening each bringing drinks and 'nibblies'. Then we part ways to have dinner in our own places. Linda and Rod give us insight into living in France (where to purchase the least expensive wines), imparting local knowledge while Roy and Susan regale us with stories of life in the frozen, rainy north of Scotland (5 months winter, 12 months bad weather). Susan must be one of the very few English persons who speaks and has taught Gaelic.

Each week Linda provides us with a list of available organic vegetables then she emails our orders to the farmer.

  Natalie the farmer, Linda, Susan, Roy and Brian 

(Just what IT was that Roy said to Brian, we do not know.) 

  Oh how life has changed from the years of tradition enjoying drinks and dinner with friends every Friday night to last Friday night, at six, picking up our "Bio" (biologique) still-in-their- dirt vegetable orders at Natalie and Pascal's outbuilding. 

But then we merrily set off home, to our new tradition of happy hour on the terrace.

The corn fields are being harvested now. How enthralling to watch the big equipment thresh and strip the cobs of their yellow kernels all in one step. Once the hopper is full it is emptied into a trailer hooked up to a tractor. Everything else is left in the field. We went walking after the harvester finished and I picked up some of the naked cobs and husks. These will decorate our table at Thanksgiving. But,  for now the wee animals have fewer places to hide from the hunters... however, lots of loose kernels for the taking. 

The leaves are changing colors and falling, falling; the shadows becoming longer the days shorter, chimney smoke in the air and warmth in the hearth. Aaah, fall is arriving.

ps please check out the blog CA2Brittany by David Thompson listed in "My Blog List" underneath.

He and his wife left the USA two months before we did. His blog details their journey and adventures in France. Worth the read!  Enjoy.