I have to get busy this morning. There's a six-pound free-range capon in the kitchen that I've thawed over the past 48 hours in the fridge. It's waiting to be cut up and made into a chapon au vin, based on the recipe for coq au vin. I assume you know what a capon (un chapon) is, and the au vin part refers to red wine. The bird gets cooked in red wine with broth, onions, carrots, and herbs. It's what I'm making for our afternoon meal tomorrow, after Walt gets home from New York. We'll have leftovers all weekend.
Meanwhile, a couple of good things happened yesterday. First, I took my camera out on the afternoon walk in the vineyard. The light was good, the temperature was moderate, and, most importantly, it wasn't raining. When Tasha the sheepdog and I headed out through the back yard, there was Bertie the black cat prowling around near the garden shed.
The cat jumped up on a small pile of firewood and watched us leave the yard. Before we left, I took another photo of him, above, for posterity. Bertie has been living here for 10 years now, and he'll be 14 years old in April. Unlike us, he is a Saint-Aignan native. He's basically an outdoor cat, but he spends more and more time in the house with us nowadays. He and Tasha get along famously.
I took a lot of pictures on the walk, including the one above to which I've added labels. That's because around 6 p.m. the phone rang and it was the man who owns and operates the landscaping business we hire to trim the long, tall, wide hedge around our property and tend to the trees on it. He wanted to know if he could come the next day — today — in the afternoon to cut down the big spruce tree near the house that seems to be sickly. You can see it in the photo above, along with other trees in the yard. It really is too close to the house, and it's being crowded out by the cedar and the linden.
A few minutes earlier, when the dog and I came back into the house after the walk, Bertie was waiting for us on the landing at the top of the stairs. He let me take the photo you see here. I think he was hoping for some cat treats.
Love the first picture of Bertie standing guard. When I started to read you post, I thought you had a live chicken on the loose in your kitchen until I got to the frozen part. I wonder if the "Christmas" tree is a Deodar Cedar?
ReplyDeleteI believe the tree I labeled as Cedar is a Deodar. But I'm no expert. Look at this page for a photo and a description of the Deodar Cedar. The "Christmas" tree looks like a fir to me. We believe, but don't know for sure, that it was a live Christmas tree planted there by the previous owners of the house. It's not thriving, unfortunately. A lot of trees are dying around here.
DeleteYep I think you're right on those two trees. Hard to know what kind of fir it is - there's so many varieties. As for non-thriving trees, I remember a comment a while back about the water table dropping...
DeleteThe blue spruce, or sapin bleu, or whatever it was, is history.
DeleteThose are some lovely pictures of Bert! He's a very handsome cat!
ReplyDeleteHe's a good cat who hasn't had an easy life. His original adopters left him here when they went back to the U.K. We took him in, but our dog back then, Callie the border collie, never accepted him as a member "in good standing" of the household. Only since Callie departed and Tasha arrived has he started having an easier time of it. He's in the house a lot now, especially when it's rainy and chilly outside, as it is today.
DeleteGood news about getting the Spruce cut down, eh? One less worry.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing Bertie :)
At first glance having that tree gone really opens up the view, both from inside the house and from the back yard.
Deleteawww Bertie.... looking great for his age
ReplyDeleteHés missing a couple of fangs but otherwise he seems to be doing fine.
DeleteBon voyage, Walt, if you read this. Safe travels. A delicious coq au vin will be waiting for you !
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure Walt will see comments. His aunt's apartment, where he was staying, had no wifi and no internet. Anyway, he's probably at the airport, or on his way there, now.
DeleteBeautiful Bert photos! He looks good on that red carpet. I know Walt will enjoy his homecoming and the chapon au vin.
ReplyDeleteThe chapon au vin is bubbling away on the stove. We should be home from the Tours TGV station by about one o'clock tomorrow, and lunch will be ready.
DeleteLove the photos of Bertie, thank you! I’m agreeing with Evelyn about how he looks on that beautiful red rug. Thanks also for identifying your trees. Now we need an ‘after’ shot.
ReplyDeleteGale-force winds and a cold driven rain discouraged me from going out with the camera this afternoon. I did have to go out with the dog, though. She's waterproof.
DeleteBertie is beautiful and enigmatic. Those are great photos. Happy cooking to you.
ReplyDeleteBertie is a distinguished older gentleman now, and has some white hairs to prove it. Glad he's still thriving.
ReplyDelete