Guest blogger

It's almost cold this morning. MétéoFrance is reporting near-record cold from the center of France, where we are, all the way up to the northeast, toward Belgium. Yesterday it rained, if only lightly, on and off all day. The heaviest shower came at about 6 p.m., right when Callie and I went out for a walk. We didn't get soaked, but we got good and wet.

The guest blogger this morning is CHM — not for the text, but for the two photos in this post. We spent the day inside in front of our computers, talking and working out computer problems. Walt made one of his delicious asparagus-and-ham pies for lunch, and we picked a frisée lettuce out in the garden to have with some beets in oil and vinegar. Bertie came in when I was out with Callie in the afternoon, seeking some human warmth as well as shelter from the rain.

Asparagus and ham baked in a pie

Today is cooking day. We are taking some dishes down to Preuilly-sur-Claise to contribute to Susan and Simon's blogger gathering tomorrow. We haven't heard from Martine (a.k.a. Ladybird) from Belgium, who is supposed to be here in the Loire Valley with friends this week, but we hope to see her tomorrow.

I've decided to make a pan of lasagne for the Preuilly party tomorrow afternoon. We also bought a céleri-rave, which we'll grate up and dress with a creamy mayonnaise and mustard dressing. And we'll get a tart or make a cake to take too. It's about an hour's drive down to Preuilly-sur-Claise, and we plan to be there at lunchtime tomorrow.

CHM's portrait of Bertie the black cat, taken yesterday afternoon

By the way, we succeeded in getting the rototiller into the back of the Peugeot, and Walt and I delivered it to the Gamm'Vert store for repairs and service. I forgot to take pictures, but picking it up and fitting it into the little car turned out to be pretty easy. The repairman looked at it and said he had the parts he needed in stock, so he'd get it running again by Saturday, probably. That's the day CHM goes back to Paris.

Maybe the weather will improve enough for us to get out and do some more garden work toward the weekend. Aubergines, poivrons, tomates, salades, and haricots verts are planted. We still want to put in some courgettes and some winter squash too. All of it will be stunted unless the sun comes back out to warm things up again.