Moulin du Clout - 5th October

We have arrived at Moulin du Clout, safely, after two and a half days travelling.

We have always taken our time over the journey, only driving 5 – 6 hours per day maximum and sharing the load. The first night we spent in Calais, the second in Limôges. On the third day we have time for grocery shopping and a leisurely lunch in Maurs before arriving at the Mill in the middle of the afternoon. This way we have daylight hours to solve any problems that we may find on our arrival. Last spring we discovered a burst pipe in the first floor toilet when we turned the water on which meant finding a plumber quickly. Through our friendly neighbour, Cyprien, in the village, we did so and had it fixed by 9.00 next morning.

Rufus Whippet travelled well. It is his first trip to France and we were keeping our fingers crossed that he was truly over his car sickness. We came via the channel tunnel so that we didn’t have to chance a rough ferry crossing. He behaved well in the hotels, sleeping quietly on his rug and not peeing on the carpets, which was my other worry. His only problem now is that he can’t bear to be left anywhere (including the car) on his own. He gets frantic with anxiety and barks and whines constantly.

The weather is warm and sunny and I am sitting on the terrace opposite the view (pic 1) as I type this. Every few minutes there is the crashing sound of walnuts falling into the undergrowth or bouncing off the barn roof. Away to my right I hear the sounds of the River Cele splashing its way over the stones and the small cascade from the millpond. I can hear bird song although I can’t identify the birds. Only the blue tits show themselves much here – they will come to eat the bits of walnut we put on the terrace wall. The birds are unused to humans and are shy. However in the spring we had a wagtail’s nest on the gîte window ledge (pic 2)and a blackbird nested in the clematis by the steps.

Jim is doing his rounds of the domaine checking the sluices of the millpond etc. Rufus is scavenging for walnuts under the trees. He cracks them open and eats the contents. We shall have to limit this occupation as the terrace is becoming strewn with broken shells and I fear for his digestion – always a bit dodgy.

One of the uses of the Mill was to extract walnut oil from the plentiful supply of walnuts growing on the surrounding trees. The mill equipment is still in place (pic 3) although, unfortunately, no longer working. Cyprien used to work in the mill as a youth and has told us about it.

Two of the walnuts Jim planted in the spring have sprouted so we shall have saplings to take home and the rhubarb is doing well. When we were here in the spring Jim and Peter created a circular potager from sticks (pic 4). We got the idea from a French gardening magazine and as suitable materials were to hand we decided to make three of these to grow vegetables next year if our plans to spend the year here come good.

All seems well about the property except we have mice in the gîte. Rufus and I found one sitting on the bathroom mat washing his whiskers. Rufus made a dash but the mouse disappeared behind the bidet. Jim will have to set traps. Peter and Jennifer arrive on Friday I hope we will have got rid of them by then.

À bientôt.