Ouf, so that’s August done and dusted and I have to say that I’m not sorry. I like the sun but that was nuts. Ten days ago we were finding it impossible to sleep in night time (NIGHT TIME !) temperatures of 30° and this week when I got up to walk the dogs it was 9° ! We had a few cooler days last week but are creeping up to the 30s again now.
Of course, the hottest week of the Summer was my most busy/eventful. I managed to prang my car, my fault entirely, by not putting on the handbrake properly. The car took a little backwards stroll by itself and stopped against the wall of a house. I was SOOOO angry with myself, usually when I stop, I put the handbrake on automatically, a bit like putting on my seatbelt. Goodness knows why I didn’t then. Having got out of the car, I didn’t realise that it had gone walkabout and I went to visit a friend for a 45 minute catch up. When I let her, after a split second of “oh, good grief someone has stolen my car” I saw it resting gently against the neighbour’s wall. Long story short, we finally agreed that I would pay him for a pot of paint but in the meantime he had called the gendarmes (don’t blame him, all he knew was that he had a rogue car against his wall with no sign of the driver) and they arrived lights flashing (whaaaat ?!) and I was breathalysed – at 10.30 in the morning ! Damage to the car, a broken back light.
The next two – hottest 41° – days there was a 70th birthday lunch and a 70th birthday party. I didn’t stay late to the latter as I had to be in Toulouse at 8.30 to take one of our dogs to the vet. She had been coughing violently for a week or so and after her heart had been checked and she had been on medication for her throat, none of which worked, our vet said I should take her to a clinique in Toulouse. Eek ! I can just about get to the airport and back and friends know never to chat until I get back onto ‘my’ motorway. I looked on the map to find out where the clinique was and was in despair, there was NO WAY I would find it. Tat de la la (that’s a trumpet sounding), over the hill comes the cavalry in the form of my wonderful friend Gaynor, who poo pooed the idea of me going on my own and offered to drive me. Such relief. That is a friend, ready to leave home at 6.45 in order to get to the vet in time for the appointment. We made it in good time (though I would never find the place again) and after a coffee/chocolate, we proceeded to Ikea where damage was done. During lunch I received an email from the vet (together with much too explicit photos) showing that Isabella had THREE of those horried spiky grass heads, stuck in her trachea. We picked her up from the vet and were home (over 500 euros lighter, but she is l’Oreal – worth it) by 5. Simples !
Then on the Sunday was the clothes sale at the Montcuq vide and I am relieved to say it was the last one we will do. It wouldn’t be so bad if the venue was in a large field or carpark, but it is in the tiny little lanes up in the old village and getting there, unloading and getting the cars away and parked, along with lots of other people, is a nightmare. Then of course it is the same thing in reverse in the afternoon. I was so grateful to another lovely friend (where do I get all these brilliant people ?!) Sophie, was there at 6am to help us unload and set up. We made 440 euros, which is not to be sneezed at, but is much less than usual. I think people are giving less clothes away now that there are so many websites where you can sell them. Anyway, I have decided that at 74, I am too old for all the work that goes before a sale and the exhausting day. It used to be fun, but isn’t any more.
Meet Spouky, a lovely 9/10 year old dog whose owner has ‘moved on’. Spouky was in very grave danger of being pts when I agreed to take him in. I was going to keep him (and still will if a good home cannot be found) but he is such a lovely boy, gentle and loves a cuddle, he would be ideal for an elderly person looking for a friend/companion. A fenced in garden would be essential as he does like to roam if given the chance, but mostly he just wants to potter around,sleep, eat (he loves his food !) and be loved. As he is elderly, there will be no adoption fee, but if a donation, however small, is offered, well, it would be churlish to refuse n’est ce pas ?
Danielle has had a lot of problems with her internet so has not been able to do her updates, but she is now back on track and I will therefore be updating the adoptions page tomorrow.
More next month when we will be in the middle of our annual holiday on Ile de Ré. Hooray !
Sue x