Tempus Fugit

Two years ago today we were sat outside enjoying the morning sun with a groggy cat and no furniture barring two camping chairs and a bed kindly left by the sellers in an empty house. The evening before, we'd arrived at here in Charnizay to start our adventures living in Sud Touraine.

31 July 2010: weeds to tame and one of our 2 camping chairs

As we were travelling with our cat Shadow we'd taken the tunnel and given him a sedative we'd obtained from the vet. Despite giving him only a very light dose, the poor lamb was still zonked the next day. While he wobbled around his new domain slightly dazed at what master and mistress had "done to him" we surveyed the place over a cup of coffee. We had 12 days until our furniture arrived to paint, and generally make presentable our house now that the works we'd had done were finished.

Over the next few days and weeks we wore a rut in the road to the area of large stores in Joué- and Chambray-les-Tours. We bought paint--loads of white paint!! We invested in a plethora of cleaning materials of all types and colours. When we arrived the house was filmed in a lovely layer of builders dust and dirt.  A garden table and chairs were acquired so we had something to sit at. By the end of the furniture-less days we'd whitewashed the entire house and weren't keen on seeing a roller or bucket of paint for a long, long time -- if ever!

We bought things we'd never owned before, but were needed living in the country: a saw horse, a chain saw, hack and hand saws, a ride-on mower, a much heavier strimmer, a wheelbarrow and another ladder to name but a few! Meanwhile Shadow had discovered the ensuite bathroom  and the joyful fact that he could just squeeze himself behind a panel and vanish totally from view only sneaking out occasionally to snatch some food. It caused us some serious worries as to where he'd got to before we caught him eeling out of his hidey hole!! Once we'd been here a couple of days we let him go outside to explore and he promptly went onto the roof! Little did he know though, that his days as an 'only cat' were numbered. Katinka took up residence in October 2010.

Shadow on the roof, August 2010

One morning early, soon after we arrived Antoinette saw a martre [pine marten] outside the kitchen door. It was as astonished as she was! In those first months we saw it again. Sadly we don't see it any more -- we assume it is now too noisy here with us as permanent inhabitants. The fouine [beech marten], more used to sharing space with humans, was around for quite some time. However, last summer we think it was dispatched by our neighbours. It was living in their attic and probably creating an unholy mess.

The red squirrels, fox and other animals are always a joy. Earlier this morning looking out over the terrace we saw regular visitors: three chevreuil [roe deer]. They ambled along the field boundary. We never tire of seeing whatever wildlife there is on offer, be it large or small; with the exception of the pine processionary catepillars!! Those we do not like!

We've had a lot done to the house: moved the kitchen, reconfigured a room to create a downstairs shower room, installed an en-suite upstairs, had floors laid and a fosse septique system installed in November 2010. A drive was put in before we moved in and the terrace  --last of the big works for now-- was finished a couple of weeks ago.

October 2010: two cats on the roof

We've learned how many stare of wood to order to heat the house in winter and how to stack woodpiles. We've watched the seasons change and discovered what plants & flowers we have. We've ripped out bushes, cut back leggy trees, learnt to slalom between the trees on the ride-on mower. In November 2010 we floundered round in the heavy clay soil to plant some young fruit trees while doing good impersonations of 'Margo' in 'The Good Life'; though happily not in yellow sou'westers!

So here we are two years later. In some ways it seems only months ago that we moved here, in other ways we feel we've been here quite a while--both in the nicest possible way!

Above all we've met many friendly and helpful people:- both French and expat, and we have made some good friends. Looking back on two years life is good and we feel we are beginning to properly settle in here.