Soar-Dream-France

Tunnel Times

 

The first time I came to see the Chatette with the intentiion of purchase, I remember Stu saying to me: "It's a tunnel high enough for a man and his horse to ride through, because they did!"

I immediately teased whether or not Johnny Depp on a white stallion came with the tunnel!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"He" (tunnel is masculine in French) is quite a tunnel.

Imagine a tunnel shaped like a "T" with a cave tucked into each top and trunk corner of the "T!"

One of the caves houses most all of the utilities.

 

The other cave has largely been used as a vernissage space...a place to host our village artists for an evening of art and aperos.

 

 

Back in the early days of being here full time, I'd begun excavating. A lot has happened since then. All my tunnel excavating had stopped, until just this week.

Keeping up with the ivy and vines, I was out working on the front of the Chatette.

 

I went down into the tunnel because I realized I could get to the base of some of the ivy much easier from there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turns out, it was much more than just the vines. The tunnel was calling "come back, come back," and I listened. 

 

 

I sat with the tunnel for a while, remembering how it felt to be there in the early days and all the things I thought we might do together.

There is something very sensual about excavating a spot when I am touching and feeling the stone.

It truly does speak to me.

It was time.

So, yesterday and today I continued on.

 

 

Even though the excavation is a much bigger and long term job, I enjoy the stone so much more than the ivy and the red vines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe it's the mystery of what I am going to find covered up under all that soil, stone and cement.

 

 

It also feels like the stone is ready and willing. The vines feel like they fight me at every turn. 

 

 

I leave you with some shots from today. I plan to do some a little each morning. I enjoy it. It's like reconnecting with an old friend that may lead me to the discovery of some new ones!

 

 

Happy Wednesday!

 

Finding Monet in the Lot

 

Late yesterday afternoon, I decided to hop on my bike and take a ride beside the Lot River.

I'd murdered my second lawnmower of the season that morning and I knew a bike ride would distract me and get me back on track.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was much hotter than I usually like, but I was in the mood.

After a few favorite shots, I stopped by this hand made bridge on the road that seemed to lead to the water. 

When I looked closer there were water lilies all along the bank. 

 

They were so pretty, that I had to get a few shots of them too.

 

Of course, it felt like Monet had come to save the day.

Who cared if I had two dead lawn mowers and couldn't cut the grass as planned?

I had Monet with me in spirit and he brought his nymphea along to make me happy.

As I always say...the surprises are often better than anything I could have planned!

 

 

 

 

When I got back home, I thought of a few friends and family who would particularly enjoy these shots and others that I had also taken.

Before I took the photos off the phone, I made a couple of collages and texted them out.

It was so much fun to share the joy of here in real time!

 

Happy Tuesday!

 

Agricultural Life at Every Turn

 

Out early mornings on my bike recently, I've been keeping up with more of the farming and agricultural activity in the village.

My internal time clock has been really off in terms of days, weeks, months and even years during the pandemic.

Lately, it seems that the crops and seasonal flowers have been way off too. 

 

 

 

When I take the road down to the river, I get a closer up view of all that is happening on this corner. This year there are fields of corn and asparagus and smaller patches of tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, lettuce, and more. 

 

 

Somewhere in the midst of all that farm equipment, I manage to find flowers and other sweet contrasts to the heavy machinery needed for the crops.

 

The irrigators are my favorites. Suburb/City girl come to the country; I find wonder and fascination in all of this. I make everyone laugh and smile. This is every day for them, but it's special for me.

 

 

Happy Monday!

 

Three Day Travel Reality

 

One of the things that I've come to accept over the years, is that any trip here from the states basically turns into a three day proposition for me.

The first day is enroute, the second day I arrive in Cadrieu, and the third day I begin getting back to what my life is here in this amazing place. This is a fact of my life. I can't rush it, but I can slow it down and sometimes have with some extra time in Paris. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today is the one year anniversary of my third day since departure and settling back in here.

 

 

 

I celebrated that day this morning by getting on my bike early and riding into Cajarjc to: get some important mail off in the poste; visit the bank; get a few essentials at the Petit Casino; and, hit two of my favorite patisseries. I'd thought about stopping in at the butcher too, but my favorite butcher wasn't working so I passed it by and stopped at Besse's next. 

 

I parked my bike. I decided I really needed a piece of their monster brioche and then went in for their amazing chocolate chip cookies, a couple of pain au chocolats, and splurged on a garlic baguette that I've never tried before.

Isn't that the prettiest and most impressive brioche that you have ever seen? And, it's tasty too!

 

 

 

I also celebrated a year here by going to my favorite patisserie for the first time: Roux's. I confess that I passed them by on all my other trips. After masking at 3 or 4 other places and getting back on my bike to head home "mask-less," I just couldn't face getting off my bike enroute and putting the mask back on again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, until today, I'd kept going. Every time I passed I thought about my favorite Karocs and Noix de Cremes.

 

 

 

Today, not only did I get 2 of each of those, but I threw in a tarte au citron and 2 plain croissants for good measure. I felt like I was home again. I'd missed my exchanges with Madam Roux. As she packed everyone up she remembered I'm on bike. There is just no easy way to get those guys home in that box, but we made it.

 

 

It always takes a little arranging and re-arranging, but I've learned what works and then we were off! On the way home the box went vertical on me in the basket, but when I got them home no one was the worse for wear.

 

Happy Sunday!

 

Symbols of Lessons Learned

 

When I bought this beautiful place during 2002, the addition was already separating from the Chatette and there was NOT a gas tank in sight. During the coming years, I allowed others to impact my decisions about here and Columbus Street after Katrina, that sounded rational but were NOT in line with what I really wanted for here and there.

The first was central heat here for the Chatette. The second, renovating and restoring Columbus Street in such a way that I no longer felt any connection to it any more.

 

 

This person's refrain was: not everyone lives like you do. You need to make it more what other people want.

 

 

 

I count these as two of the biggest mistakes of my life. So much so, when the fire hit the Chatette in 2017, I was adamant that I was going to have what I wanted and what was best for "us!" It worked. The radiators, boiler and pipes were removed.

The beautiful stone breathed free AND I installed a Godin wood burning poele that is a treasure.

The central gas heat was installed here in 2003. Everyone said: oh, it will be cleaner and central will be so much better.

 

 

 

First, it was never warm and toasty. Then, the radiators were so ugly against the stone. The clincher was when the dollar plunged and the price of gas rose so it was costing me close to $4000 a winter season.

 

 

During 2008, I turned it off never to be turned back on again.

 

 

 

Wednesday's departure of the gas tank evoked a lot of feeling.

It was the last evidence of an unhappy decision for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

No more radiators. No more gas tank!

I felt ridiculously free.

As time goes on here, there is a real coming back around.

I am listening to my heart! 

 

 

We are moving forward!

 

 

Happy Saturday!

 

Leavin' Lousiana in the Broad Daylight

 

After many ups and downs and back and forths, I finally decided that it was important to return to Cadrieu sooner than later.

I'd begun thinking that if I waited until spring of 2021, I might have a better chance of a vaccine and an easier trip.

 

 

As time went on, that date changed to the end of September, the middle of September, early September, and by July it was as soon as possible. As soon as possible turned out to be Thursday, August 6, 2020, arriving in Cadrieu the night of August 7, 2020 after 31hours of traveling (in a mask)!

When I have looked back over my time here in Cadrieu, I am always grateful. From here, I have been able to hover and hope for better times in the states and for the world. To be honest, we are still hovering.

 

I'd left here on December 17, 2019 in the middle of massive strikes in France. I was lucky to get to New Orleans. I was lucky to get to Dad to spend time together before he passed away on January 1, 2020. I was lucky on a lot of fronts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once the virus became a reality, it was clear that all travel bets were off. 

But, I'm here! I've made it! I've been able to take care of important business here. 

 

 

I know I am in the best place that I can be in times like these. And, I have Lola as my partner on this journey! From today forward, it feels like it could be a whole new chapter or even a whole new book for us. We shall see.

 

 

 

Happy Friday!

 

Coming Back Around

 

I haven't been down in the tunnel in a really long time. Yesterday, I could see that the ivy and the red vines were beginning to encroach there too. 

This morning's intention was to get the grass cut over on the land where the gas tank had been removed yesterday! I did, but in the process I decided to go back down into the tunnel and see how things were.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The blocked-up archway in the back is special and the stone that holds up the floor to the Chatette is incredible.

I sat on the step up to the archway that I had unearthed during the early days.

 

 

 

I remembered all the thoughts, dreams and feelings I have always had in this place.

Once we turned one of the caves into a vernissage gallery and the barn came to us, I was distracted from my tunnel ponderings.

I believe they are about to begin again...nope, they began with today's visit!

 

 

Happy Thursday!

 

Separating Strands Entwined

 

 

I've been knowing for a while that I should get out and "de-vine" the front of the Chatette. I struggle so, because I basically love the way it looks. I do know that the ivy definitely needs to be removed, but the red vine is gorgeous in the fall and dies away easily in the winter. Once the vines were making their way up the screen to the bedroom, it was really time! 

I gathered up all my tools and had decided that I would do a window at a time each morning, beginning with the second story one in the photo on the left.

 

 

 

It's tedious work, but I have a system. I ask myself all the time why I enjoy de-vining the cliffs in the back so much, but see this as a chore? 

As you can see from the shot on the right, I made pretty good progress. I decided to just keep working until I got, hot, tired, frustrated, or all of the above. It was an overcast day, so I kept working just until I was tired. It was nice NOT to be hot or frustrated.

I got to the archway of the T-shaped tunnel.

 

 

 

Along the way, I also cleared out this break in the wall from the road in the photo above, along with the moss and vines that were taking over the short road wall too.

It got more and more difficult to separate the ivy from the red vine, but I continued to try. The red vines were more like ponytails blowing in the breeze.

I found I could lift them up and get to the ivy underneath. Still, I had red vine casualties. 

 

 

I realized again as I worked, how much I enjoy touching this place and feeling the stone. It always speaks to me. Somewhere along the times of here, I did less and less of that. I've missed it.

 

 

It's touching stone time again too.

Happy Wednesday!

 

Do I Need a Schedule???

 

 

It feels like I am constantly learning to let go and "live into my life!"

Yesterday, I was on a mission to be ready for the gas tank removal people. I went out early and got everything done that I had to do. I came in and still blogged in the morning.

This morning, I wanted to go out and begin to attack the removal of the ivy vines from the front of the Chatette along the road. I got in a good three hours and made great progress, but it's after 5pm and I'm just sitting down to blog.

 

 

 

I'm such a creature of habit, that changing up is hard for me.

These days, I seem to need my mornings to be able to make any progress at all on projects I want to do for US-me and the house, grounds and barn.

 

Yesterday felt good.

Today, felt better.

 

But I still feel a little off and I want to learn to let go of that.

I do find comfort in my routines, but these days, they are getting in my way.

Hmmm, maybe it's just me getting in my way.

 

 

Happy Tuesday!

 

Angling Anew

 

There's been lots going on around here that requires some new chores getting done, but there's always softening the "chore" blow with photos and flowers.

This week the gas company is coming to remove the tank. Although I have had central gas heat since 2003, I have not used it since 2008 and took the radiators and pipes out of the house after the fire for my poele.

 

Best decision I ever made.

 

I remembered that there were some brambles wrapped around one of the legs and a connection, so I wanted to get out there and get them removed so the removal of the tank would be easier.

I wandered up the tracks, opened up the barn, decided what tools I needed, and got them situated to lift over the wall.

 

 

 

Then, I wandered up the the hill on the other side of the barn to the back where my budding deep purple and white buddleias were blooming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I was there, I realized this spot would be easier to clear than I thought.

Buddleias in hand, I headed back up and around the side of the barn to get back and lock up.

 

 

Fortunately, everything I needed could be thrown over the wall from the tracks down to the gas tank.

In the past, I probably would have thrown myself over the wall too, but instead, my buddleias and I walked back to the house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I then walked around the front of the house to get my chore done.

It was easy. I just kept taking photos all along the way.

 

 

 

Happy Monday!