I found a new development on the French farm on my visit this year: it has gone even more free-range.
When I first spotted the chickens wandering around the defunct kitchen garden next to their corralled area late afternoon on my first day, I was rather alarmed and reported this to farm mistress Jeanette. She reassured me that it was legit and intentional. It was to let them scrabble around in that area for a change of environment and food source.
Another thing I noticed — on my arrival at the farm house, because I nearly tripped over her — was that there was a dog lying down calmly on the floor of the living/dining room in front of the stove.
I say calmly because she didn’t even bother to try and shift out of the way, as most dogs would do if they were sleeping in the path of passing feet. (This turned out to be Mizou — see blog Eats shoots and leaves.)
Finally, the cats, which used to be banned from the house as well, bar one (see blog Minou). This year there’re about a dozen of them — after the first ten, I gave up counting as I only have ten fingers — five of which are kittens a few months old (under a year, I’d say, although I’m bad at telling age — see blog Minou).
Not only have they increased in number, they have also increased in temerity — jumping in through any open windows (two in the living/dining room, one in [deceased] Grandma Meimei’s old bedroom, one in the master bedroom upstairs which was assigned to me for my month-long stay) and helping themselves to any soft surface for kipping on, including my lap — which has the added advantage of being warm as well. Make the mistake of having eye contact with them, even if accidental, and they’ll make a beeline for you, leaping straight onto your lap without even asking for permission first. They also help themselves freely to the shop-bought dry cat food — straight out of the bag.
(For more on the cats, see Purrfect pals.)
(Gers, France, September/October 2011)
Eats shoots and leaves: https://piccola-chinita.blogspot.com/2011/10/eats-shoots-and-leaves.html
Purrfect pals: https://piccola-chinita.blogspot.com/2011/10/purrfect-pals_20.html
Minou: https://piccola-chinita.blogspot.com/2011/07/minou.html
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