A walk with happy cows.

Perfect French weather for Wilfs morning walk. Not a cloud in the sky and a refreshing 18 degrees. Wilf bounced rather than walked down the road completely lost in a reverie of exploration. Today, we took the farm track that runs below the chateau to look at the cows in the fields along the river valley. A dappled place of wonderful, exotic scents and smells. Some of the cows were content to lie ruminating in the early morning sun while others were busy with their demanding young. All of them seemed to be happy with their lot. A few of the heffers lifted their heads as we approached but with Wilf in turbocharge mode we soon swept past them. Farming as it used to be. After an hour the old fellows legs were beginning to get tired and he turned, uncomplainingly, home. He is now deep asleep on the front doorstep, the sun warming his tired bones. You can guarantee that he'll surface from his dreams and wander upstairs the very second he hears 'the font' start preparing lunch. Uncanny.

'The font' has just reminded me that we saw the rickety old farmhouse for the first time exactly a year ago. My, how time flies. Put it another way - how far behind we are, and over budget, in the renovation schedule.