Put on your walking shoes

Last Saturday evening we participated in an evening walk with dinner in nearby St. Adjutory along with about 1,200 other people. We arrived early to sign in and were discouraged by the huge lines, but got off at 20.10 with our reflective armbands installed and our meal tickets in hand. We opted for the shorter, 9k walk (not feeling ready for 12k). With great groups of people we walked to the spot where we had our apèro, in this case alcohol-tinted grapefruit juice and a handful of crackers. The crowd started to spread a bit leaving here since many people lingered to chat. We set off again to walk to our starter, a dish of tuna potato salad that we ate sitting on hay bales at the sides of the road. With our food, they handed us a sack with plastic utensils and drinking cup and told us to carry it to the next stop. Where we sat at tables to eat grilled ham and beans and were entertained by a young accordionist.

Then off for our fromage at the next stop. By the time we got here it was fully dark, but we never used our flashlights since the road was pretty clear. We arrived back at the start about 23.00 to have our dessert. There was a band getting started, and a dance floor, but we didn't stay for this, party poopers that we are.

Work around the house continues. Ed hung the lamp over the new dining table. In Amstelveen, we had three hooks in the ceiling for the three places we might have the dining table; you only had to stand on a chair to move the lamp from one hook to another. Here the ceiling is much higher and it would take a ladder to move it from one position to another when the table is normal or extended. So we put a curtain rod to a new use and can now slide the lamp to the proper location.

Until today the weather has continued hot and dry. The area has a restriction on all agricultural use of water. Some communes not too far from us have restrictions on personal use for things like filling swimming pools, watering lawns, washing cars, etc. So far, we have no personal restrictions but this could change at any time. Everything is brown. We read almost every day of brush fires in the Charente. It seems like cows have been taken to their winter barns so they can be fed hay. Hay is being brought in from all over the country.