Saying goodbye to the summer

It is with a modicum of relief that we have arrived at the time for putting the clocks back one hour, one lovely hour. But I have not actually done our clocks and watches yet although it is now 7 in the evening of the first day of the time change, because I am saving up that spare hour to use productively, although sitting out under the stars at a neighbours house last night, or rather early this morning, (actually it was half past one), I almost took that spare hour then, which meant that  we could have stayed a further hour or so enjoying the excellent company, but I decided against it and saved that hour. 

Neither did I feel the need to take an extra hour in bed this morning, the day grabbing hold of me and getting me up promptly at 6.30. Neither did I feel a need to take that precious hour during the day. But now I have arrived at the evening I am tired, and I do not feel like prolonging this day by taking that hour now, so I am saving it up for tomorrow, meanwhile the time on our small farm in SW France remains the same as it was yesterday. 

I have been a good girl in regards to the food stored in the larder, and have not done a raid on any of the produce waiting to be eaten, although the jars of new potatoes have been raided, and some of the jars of meat, but that was because there was an urgent need to fill our tummies fast because we were busy doing other things, not because I was being lazy and did not want to cook. 

Anyway, to stop myself from using the produce in the jars I made a promise to myself that I would not open any jar until the clocks went back, that the stored food was for those cold times when teeth are rattling, toes are numb, and fingers and all are frozen. To open a jar which was processed when the sun was shining will bring back the warmth of the summer, and raise up the spirits. I hope. 

So it is the time of the long evenings. Time to get on with writing and craft projects. Oh, and then there is work to do on the house. We have ordered a Rayburn wood burning stove from the UK, and it is being shipped out early next week. The Rayburn is for cooking, heating, and warming the cold buttocks on. I do not think that it will be installed in time to keep us warm this winter, but at least it will be here, and when I look at it I can visualise the heat which will be coming from it next winter, sort of borrowing the warmth ahead to heat the now albeit that it will be in my head. 

I do not mind saying goodbye to the summer this year. It has been a year of change on many fronts, and it is nice to be going into a slow down time for a while. Better enjoy it before 2014 arrives!

So, hugging my spare hour to my chest, bye for now, and hope you have had a good day.