A fortnight of problems

Phew! I suspect that we all have periods when at some time during the day we ask ourselves why on earth we had bothered to get up in the morning? With some exceptions, this seems to have gone on for a fortnight!

First the birds; no problems there. About two weeks ago I saw the first party of house martins hawking above the river. Many nest in Mollans, usually in the narrow streets so that they are out of the direct sun for most of the day. To the French they are the "Hirondelle de fenêtre" to distinguish them from the swallow, which are "Hirondelle rustique or hirondelle de cheminée".

We still have two pairs of hawfinch coming to the bird table; the male's beak is now a striking blue. Also a pair of blackcap have arrived, very striking when together, he with his black and her with her brown cap.

An old friend from Nigeria, Pat Downes, was staying and we went to the Pont du Gard near Nîmes. We've both been times before, but never tire of the bridge itself and the fascinating museum. The swallows had arrived and were swooping around & through the arches of the bridge.

As to the problems?

Jo's mother was taken to hospital so Jo is in the UK, our dog was ill, caused by processionary moth caterpillars, the spring broke in the car luggage cover, our satellite television receiver doesn't, my electric razor has stopped, Pat & my attempts to fix the automatic gate opening failed, it took 4 days to dig out the concrete to repair the pool filler and 2 days after opening the pool for the summer, the circulation pump stopped - oh, the heron has revisited the pond to take the few remaining gold fish!

Ah well, Jo's mother is better so Jo is coming back on the 14th bringing a new electric razor, the dog is better, the pool pump has been repaired, we can open the gates by hand, I've refurbished the scarecrow to keep the heron off, the sun still mostly shines, the wine is great and the food tasty.