Monday

Today the rain returned, and the day has been wet, grey and droopy. One of those days when there is no enthusiasm for anything. Paul and Alana have left with great fanfare for Spain, Tom and Bertrand have gone to the Big Mat, a store like Home Depot. (Home Depot is actually in France, with the characteristic black and orange advertising, but here called the Brico Depot, meaning something like do-it-yourself home improvement, not much different than in English.) The only outing still on our list is a chateau nearby, but since its main claim to fame is its gardens, we will wait until a better day. Bertrand has considered and rejected his notion of cutting another tree, and Tom discovered that the family had cleaned up the work area, stacking the wood and removing the brush. So the only chore left is to trim the trunk, which now is about 4 feet high.