Friday 13 December 2019

The Weather! The Christmas Tree and her Angels!

So what to you do when you are in the midst of  unfriendly weather? Winds blowing up to 80 km / h,  torrential rain, everything saturated, main field flooded, which means the ditches are full up, which means that the sheep can't get onto the field to graze, which is why they are still in the barn complaining about the unfairness of it all and 'when are you going to feed us?'

So into town you hurry, to the man who sells the small bales of hay, but "No" he says, "I'm having a cup of coffee. Come back in half an hour". So you do a quick about turn, say "*******!", or words to that effect, and hurry back to home, meanwhile embracing the moment as best  you can as the wind plays with the car, which is not really a 'proper' car but a little white van, so can be easily buffeted about should the wind be in playful mode.

So you spend a wet time getting hay off an old hay bale, which is soaked on top, but dry underneath so you have to pull the wet hay off the bale first. You take the hay into the sheep barn. The sheep are not impressed and complain, but you hurry away, wanting to get back into the dry yourself.

So then you go to let the chickens out, and with gladness see the plump, fluffy, Orpington hen appear. You feel happy because she was done unto death by a pack of dogs from down the road who came on a rampage two days ago, killing three hens and shredding another to bits, although that hen has survived. The Orpington must have laid low until she thought it safe to appear again. We think the hens will stay under cover today. We hope the winds do not lift them up and away.

Back indoors, and on no, the fire needs to be lit. But you are now damp all over, so follow through with going and getting the firewood in from where it is stacked, which is just round the corner of the house. Oh dear, the tarpaulin has gone, the wood is wet, not to worry, carry on, fire lit, house warming up.

This, then, was what my husband was having to cope with this morning before he started on another strenuous day of computer work. The internet keeps switching on and off, and the electricity is trembling suggesting an imminent power cut. Not to worry, such are the joys of living in rural SW France.

No venturing forth into the outside world for me today, so meanwhile, I try to stay jolly by trying to get a load of fairy light angels to behave themselves, but most wouldn't. Some insisted on flying upside down, or sideways, or any way other except standing straight, except this one.....


....and then there were the others.....


 upside down and all about...


........ not behaving in the manner which is required of an angel on a Christmas Tree, 



These angels have been donated to me, plus the string of fluffy pink hearts, together with a Christmas Tree on which to put them, by Laura, bless her, who is moving from SW France to the  south of Scotland in the next few weeks. 

The tree is still work in progress. 



Our original Christmas Tree and decorations all became done unto death by drowning, or rather, taken down to the local tip, after their storage boxes became filled up with rain water during the January 2009 tempest.  It seems quite fitting that these angels and their tree were delivered in wet and windy conditions, which deteriorated into tempest like conditions today. 

Thank you Laura, for this donation, 
I wish you well in your journey forward in life,
and look forward to keeping in touch with news of your new adventures.

Meanwhile, the Christmas Tree and the romping about angels have given the house a cheerful ambience, which is much needed today. 
We are now on red alert, 
the flooding has continued all the day long, 
the winds are bringing down trees, only one so far on our property,
 but indoors we are cosy and warm,
so life is good.

Bye for now,

Vx

8 comments:

DUTA said...

The Christmas tree donated by Laura is lovely! Enjoy it, and enjoy everything else in the house, as the weather outside is nasty and uncooperative.

Vera said...

DUTA, the house remains warm and cosy, which I much appreciate!

northsider said...

Rural life can be very unpleasant when its raining and blowing a gale. Roll on summertime.

local alien said...

Sounds as though you're all sogged out. Doesn't matter though as long as the house is dry and warm and the sheep fed. We've had what seems like endless days of rain but not as bad as you. Our sun is predictied to shine tomorrow . I hope it does...and for you too

Rhodesia said...

Hi Vera, this weather is diabolical, I hate it! As for getting away, we have just had 5 weeks in South Africa (on the blog) and we are here in France for Christmas. We will have a quiet day on our own, then in the evening (5pm) we are going to friends about 20 mins away for a real Christmas dinner. We will stay there overnight so we can have a couple of drinks and we do not have to drive home in the dark worrying about others who might be over the limit!!
Hope you have a good Christmas and all the best for 2020. Cheers Diane

Tommo said...

Yes indeed, it's a real drag when it's wet outside and you've just come in all damp and soggy and the fire has to be lit, often with damp kindling and wet wood.

Denise said...

Those angels are such fun! And so you. x

Vera said...

NORTHSIDER DAVE; I agree with you, rural life in the wet, cold, and windy weather is not good, on the other hand it does give us time to do other things, like writing blogs!
You are right....roll on summer!

LOCAL ALIEN; Yahooooo, sun is shining for the moment, so going outside to have a dig around in the mud, just to make me feel connected to the garden! Warm enough for no fires on in the house as well!

DIANE; It good that you are here for Christmas, so no visit to the UK like you did last year? Will have a look at your blog for your SA holiday. That must have perked up your spirits!

TOMMO; Oh the joys of country living, but I am sure you would agree with me in saying that I would not have it any other way!

DENISE; Oh bless you. I don't think the angels are very happy at the moment, but they can stay where they are for this year, but for next year they are going to be attended to, as in making them into individual tree ornaments and sharing them around. Vx