As I mentioned previously, all of France has been under a 20h - 6h curfew for the last few weeks, with 15 département (states/counties) in the east of the country having their curfew extended to 18h - 6h because of the covid situation. I was fairly sure Haute Savoie, where I live, would become subject to the extended curfew when the situation was reviewed this week but somehow we seem to have "slipped through" and get to maintain the later curfew. A curfew is still a curfew of course, but I can live with this one (well I don't have much choice really do I)!
It's probably the time of year but I seem to be really tired at the moment for some reason, although goodness knows I haven't been doing anything exciting to warrant it - apart from nearly burning the house down yesterday! Well not really, but I did manage to start a stupid fire in the garden! Ya see, I'd been working in the basement again yesterday evening and decided that it was finally time to get rid of some of the paperwork concerning the house we owned in Florida. We bought it in 1999 with a view to renting it out and sold it, finally, in 2003 because I was fed up of the work involved in maintaining a rental that was so far away and I didn't want to have to spend every vacation we ever had in that house. So we sold it. Anyway, yesterday I pulled out the files relating to the purchase and sale of the house and while I will obviously keep those papers, I felt it would be ok to get rid of the files relating to the holiday rentals. Rather than lugging them all upstairs and putting everything through the shredder I decided I could just as easily burn it in the composter at the bottom of the garden, thinking that the ash would be a good addition to the compost. So I started putting in a few sheets of paper and over time it took off a little, although why I choose to do this kind of stuff at nine in the evening, in the pitch black and -4°C I have no idea! Still, it was moving along quite nicely until I came out of the garage and suddenly realized that there was a helluva a lot more flame than a few measly sheets of paper would warrant. Well it turns out that the actual composter had started to burn! I know!!! I reckoned with all the rotting veg in there it was quite safe and never thought for a minute that the bloody plastic bin itself would start to give up the ghost but it did! I had a bucket of water in the garage and put the fire out post haste and with it being at the bottom of a frost covered garden there was no real danger that anything would catch fire but still I reckon it'll be fun explaining that to the neighbours next time they go to throw stuff in the compost!
I've been pretty good about keeping up with the walking so far, just missing one day when I got back from shopping so late that it was starting to get dark and I don't like walking in the dark round here because there are no street lights. The other day I took myself off on the longer Tour de Saint Sixt walk and was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't as hard going as I imagined it was going to be. I was a bit surprised though when I was trudging up a path through the woods and a deer came hurtling past me because it would seem that I had taken him (or more likely "her") by surprise, rather than the other way around. Considering how much I huff and puff up that path I can only assume that that deer's survival instincts were a bit rusty or she might have needed a new battery for her hearing aid! But while that was a lovely sight it suddenly dawned on me that it might just still be hunting season - which generally runs from September to February-ish and I probably should have had a yellow jacket on even if I was on a public footpath. And then I got to thinking about how lucky I was that it was a deer that had crossed my path and not a wild boar, so I starting scouting out trees to make a possible run for it if a bad tempered boar decided to come running at me. So while everything worked out well and I got a good walk in, it probably wasn't the best thought-out plan I have ever made!
That being said, a better plan was put into action today when my neighbour called to check if I was still up for going out walking with her. We set off to one of my favourite little lakes at Thyez and when we got to the end of my usual one hour circuit I showed her the notice board where four different "fun run" circuits were laid out. It was odd because the maps were actually upside down compared to where we were standing in relation to the river but once we (she) figured that out we decided to do the shortest of the four walks along the river. And it was really nice, I mean, with all that yacking neither of us really noticed how far we had walked nor how cold it was (-3°C). Isabelle had five layers of top clothing on to my three but we were both comfortable and ended up getting in a good eight mile walk all told (plus a bit of messing around on the exercise machines dotted along the river)!
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| The lake at Thyez |
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| Photographs dotted around some of the bridges we had to cross! |
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| Isabelle trying out the exercise machines just before we got back to the car! |
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| Our route - the shortest one! |
Isa is all motivated to keep going (as much as she can while still working) so it'll be nice to have company when she is available. My car has to go in for its contrôle technique (MOT in the UK) on Tuesday and as it's right next door to a sports shop I'm going to go and look for some Yaktrax, which are kinda like snow chains you put over your boots for walking on the snow and ice! There'll be no excuse for not getting out there walking after that will there!
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| Yaktrax |
After dinner this evening I saw that there was "30th birthday" tribute for Mr. Bean, since it was 30 years ago that he first appeared on our TV screens. He was/is incredibly silly and funny, particularly at the beginning, but what is so interesting is that the real Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) is much better looking in real life, very intelligent (he is a chemical engineer by training) and so very well spoken. So happy birthday Mr. Bean, it's been fun!
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| Mr. Bean |
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| Rowan Atkinson |
I had a huge paperwork sort out before we moved and hubby took it to work to burn as my shredder takes forever. You are lucky, at least mo one was hurt. I wish are govt were a little stricter with lockdown, apparently the police are handing out more fines.
ReplyDeleteWe had a huge shredder at work which I used to use but I was afraid I would screw up my little home shredder. And there was never any danger of anyone getting hurt but that compost bin does look kinda sad right now! I do tend to agree with you that the French have handled the covid situation better than they did in the UK. The measures were (and still are) stricter right from the beginning so while nothing is perfect I think they got it as right as any country could have!
DeleteFire, wild animals of all sorts, hunters...you lead an exciting life. I have never thought Bean was even the least amusing.
ReplyDeleteThe excitement of a walk in the woods eh! I found Mr. Bean very funny at the beginning. Less so as time went on, but Atkinson went on to do other stuff that was very good - Black Adder being one of them - with Steven Fry and Hugh Laurie (Dr. House)!
DeleteBoy, I'll bet that burnt plastic had bit of a bad scent. For some reason I thought Rowan had passed. I've seen several of his movies and they are all very silly.
ReplyDeleteActually I think I caught the fire quickly enough that it was ok but .... lesson learned. I never like Bean's movies, more the 30 minute sit-comes, but he was a very unique character!
DeleteGlad you got your fire under control, I can imagine it would be to see it blazing.
ReplyDeleteGood on you for walking every day. My brother bought me another brand of ice grippers for Christmas and I did not like how they felt with my boots. I'll try them with a different pair of shoes another day and see how it goes.
Take care, stay well!
I actually have a pair of ice grippers somewhere (crampon style) but I can't find them. I can imagine they aren't particularly comfortable but I'll see what they have in the store. Oh that, and some hand warmers, rechargeable if they have them!
DeleteYou lead a very exciting and dangerous life it would seem lol. I found out that burning papers isn't as easy as it looks too. I bought one of those bins to burn things in (darned if I can remember the proper name for it just now!) to burn a huge pile of paperwork we were getting rid of and got the shock of my life when flames started licking up the chimney and out! Not to mention, if it wasn't doing that, it would just go out, I never got a happy medium and resorted to shredding the rest over a few days!
ReplyDeleteI never liked Mr Bean much but I though Black Adder was very clever. It was a bit along the lines of Some Mothers Do Have Them with Michael Crawford. I thought that was hilarious! x
I didn't want to burn the papers in my fireplace for that reason but thought the composter might work. Turns out it didn't! I liked Mr. Bean at the beginning and certainly Black Adder in WWI was brilliant but then with Atkinson, Fry and Laurie they couldn't really go wrong could they. And ditto for Michael Crawford. That scene with him on roller skates hanging onto the bus was brilliant wasn't it!
DeleteBetter to shredder, eh?
ReplyDeleteI've just been doing that the past couple of hours but the bloody thing is so puny it's driving me mad. I'll have to do it bit by bit I guess!
DeleteGood thing that you were able to put the fire out so quickly. I have been trying to walk every day too but not as much as you do. I am a happy camper when I exceed 7000 steps for the time being. Before this months ends, I would like to push for 9000 steps. Having a walking buddy is great.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was working I reckon I got in 6,000-7,000 steps per day naturally, so walking at lunchtime got me to the 10,000 if I could be disciplined enough to do it. It's easier now (well there's less of an excuse not to go out) but I think 7,000 steps is a very reasonable aim anyway. It means you're moving more than most people! Good for you!
DeleteKudos to you for such good, long walks! You put me to shame, lady!
ReplyDeleteGlad you got your fire under control. That must have given you a shot of adrenaline!
This is absolutely the perfect walking weather for me - cold and sunny - so it will most likely taper off as it gets hotter. I can't stand the heat so what you do amazes me. As for the fire nah, I don't tend to get worked up but even I realized eventually a bucket of water might not be a bad thing!
Deleteoh my, glad your fire didn't get out of hand! DH sometimes burns (usually brush or scrap wood) but makes sure he has the hose nearby just in case, ya never know! Your walks sound so nice and beautiful scenery.
ReplyDeleteThankfully I did have a bucket of water nearby but I wasn't expecting it to get that bad! Still, no harm done (or very little anyway). And yes we do have beautiful walks out this way - many many more than I know of and it's always nice to discover a new one!
DeleteWe learnt our lesson with an old metal incinerator of all things, when a little rust resulted in the bottom giving way during a burning session. Have always shredded and recycled paper instead ever since; a monotonous chore but safer! Also we've been seeing a lot of a lone deer in the fields near us here in North Yorkshire of late, which is quite strange as usually we tend to spot only small herds in the distance. I hate it when they jump out in front of you though, something that does happen in late Spring when the young ones bound out of the ditches near the hedgerows into the path of passing cars. They are skittish when they are spooked. Touch wood, I've never hit one yet although Mister E did get an enormous stag jump onto his car bonnet in Scotland one winter.
ReplyDeleteWell I've started the very slow process of shredding the rest. Gosh it was easier when I could use the big shredder at work!!! As for deer, although this area is very rural I personally haven't seen that many, but maybe you're right, this may have been a young one. When you're driving it's no laughing matter though is it - as I found out with the wild boar not so long ago!
DeleteOh m gosh on the fire-do you think the compost gases fueled it perhaps? I've heard of farm pikes infighting on hot days due to all the gases stewing. I think it is the facial and body contortions that make Rowan Atkinsons look so odd, but he does have a nice handsome face. I don't even remember what movie, probably a Ben movie, and my son was rolling laughing so hard. he was probably about 6 or 7.
ReplyDeleteI'm inclined to think it was some kind of grease that ignited, although I would never throw anything greasy into the compost - just fruit and veg. Oh well, no harm done in the end I suppose. And I reckon Mr. Bean would appeal to a young lad because he's so silly!
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