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We are certainly learning how to live the good life here in France.  The blossom was delightful a month or so ago and now our 6 cherry trees are producing an abundance of delicious fruit!  The previous owners of La Tuilerie obviously loved the house and garden as there are a lot of fruit trees which have been chosen to give successive fruits.  Out of our 6 cherry trees, 3 are nearly over, 2 are just right now, and the last one will be ripe next week, so we have ample opportunity to pick the fruit and share with neighbours, although I think nearly everyone has cherry trees here!!  I am freezing them although I have no idea if they will be ok, but with so many, it seems sensible to try to keep some for another season.

We also have a lovely mulberry tree which gives delicious and delicate fruit.  They look like long, thin raspberries and we pick them straight off the tree.  They are deepening to a lovely deep maroon colour but are at their most sweet when they are nearly black. We share the fruit with a number of birds, including two pairs of golden orioles, which are just stunning!  They are too quick to have succumbed to my photography skills (limited, to say the least!) and also too fast for our two cats, who look interested but can’t really be bothered to work hard when it gets warm in the garden!

Our five chickens seem to be very happy roaming the garden, and three of the four hens are giving us a daily egg each.  Finding them can sometimes be a little tricky though, but I think we have now worked out where all their various nesting places are.  They are very sensible as they roost in a tree at night, well away from prowling predators.  The cockerel is getting more handsome by the day and ushers his ladies around the garden very assiduously!

Bailey, the dog, is settling down so well, despite being a 5-month-old pup!  He is also growing visibly!!  He is amazingly calm, plays with Merlin (Corri is far too smart – she leaves Merlin to do all the hard work training the dog to be cat-sociable, then she sneaks in!) and they get on really well.  He is so impressive with his behaviour in private and public that he has been welcomed warmly wherever he goes, whether the bar in Nérac, socialising, shopping or out walking.  He had a baptism of fire with 10/11 year-old children this week as he met a class of around 15 children when we were walking in the park, and they all surrounded him, trying to pet him at once.  He coped admirably and all the children were entranced with him.

I have also been doing some teaching again!  It is lovely to be sharing my love and knowledge of weaving once more after at least two years of living in limbo.  My first student is a local lass, who was given an old Leclerc Iris 4S table loom, and we have restored it to full working condition and it has its first warp on now.  Chloe speaks a little English, but I am learning so many weaving terms in French now and we are managing with my French and her English.  So we are both learning!!  And enjoying ourselves!

June will be busy with editing the photos for my upcoming Honeycomb book.  I hope to have some publishing news for you soon!  But first, there is just one more warp that I want to try……..!!

Till next time…..

Happy Weaving!