The great packing

Saturday 22nd July

Last weekend. So a general tidying up and a sense of doing things for the last time. Bill cut the grass for the last time of this holiday, I trimmed a few branches I’d missed earlier – though some I could not reach, not even if I stood on the pool house roof! We didn’t actually do much after that, just sat in the sun, which was finally at a pleasant temperature. We don’t have much to show in the way of suntans, for many days it was just too hot to sit out in it. In between times we wandered about the fields with Tim and played with him.

Sunday I spent sweeping, hoovering and wiping down sinks and stuff. I did two stints of editing that day, and finished the last page at about 6pm – just in time to make dinner. So I can go home with an edited manuscript to look over yet again.

Monday 24^th July

Drove into Vergt and visited Monsieur le vet for his exit examination. We can't get back into England without it - or at least Tim cannot. He gets weighed and then the nurse gives him a big wodge of chocolate-looking stuff laced with the worming ingredient. He loves it, woofs it down and looks for more. Then we wait and the vet comes and checks his eyes, ears, skin, teeth, listens to his chest and manipulates his abdomen and undercarriage. Tim doesn’t seem to mind. Then we’re good to go – except for a small payment – 58 euros this year, up slightly on last year.

Then back to the mill and the dreaded packing begins. Not only for me, but for Bill and Tim, too. Things get scattered all over the place in six weeks, so it takes time to track it all down.