Nicely framed shrubbery.

A week of sunrises

Tom demonstrating his fine car repair skills

In the Christmas spirit.

Photo credits to Meredith.

Joyeux Noël!

What a difference a year makes.

2014

2015

2014

2015

2014 

2015 

Le 19 décembre

Re-faire le pont.

When we moved in, we knew the priority was re-building the rotting bridge. Four years later, we finally got to it. Sides have been power washed and still need painting. Patrick has taken out the platform and rebuilt it with heavy duty oak that we stained.

Leaves tracker

Tom has been in the U.S. for two weeks and he knows he'll be coming home to some serious leave-mulching action. So here is what he can expect.

- almost all the poplar's leaves are down, but it was so windy that those leaves mostly ended up on the tennis court.
- lots of leaves in the woods, obviously
- all the leaves in the orchard have been blown into the massif.
- the ginko is not done shedding.
- the ivy on the house is done and has been disposed of.

 

Les betteraves

This history of sugar beets is from Wikipedia, but many of you have heard Tom tell the story much better.

"The work of Achard (a scientist researching sugar in Berlin) soon attracted the attention of Napoleon Bonaparte, who appointed a commission of scientists to go to Silesia to investigate Archard's factory. Upon their return, two small factories were constructed near Paris. Although these factories were not altogether a success, the results attained interested greatly Napoleon. Thus, when two events, the blockade of Europe by the British Navy and the Haitian revolution against his brother in law, made the importation on cane sugar untenable, Napoleon seized the opportunity offered by beet sugar to address the shortage. In 1811, Napoleon issued a decree appropriating one million francs for the establishment of beet schools, and compelling the farmers to plant a large acreage of sugar beets the following year. He also prohibited the further importation of sugar from the Caribbean effective in 1813."

Evidence of this can be found all over France still today.

The very persistent Margaux!

Last dahlias of the season.

Les navets de Thomas.

That night when everyone went to bed pissed off.

"..."

In other news...

It's a big week for aunt m-c and uncle Tom, with the arrival of Emile, Audrey and Jordan, all within one week of each other. A big Bergerie welcome to each one of you. We hope to see you here very soon.

Sunday, 5:30.