Meteo France says it's cloudy today but ...

.... what do they know? It's raining. And I spent yesterday getting the shuttering ready for the next tranche of concrete, and getting a couple of extra trailer-loads of sand and gravel, and now I can't do it. I'd hoped to have just the one last piece to do when Howard is here next week - it's always nice to finish a job - but now that looks unlikely. The forecast is pretty unremitting rain for the next week, but, of course, what do they know? Which I think is where I came in.
So this wet Sunday is likely to be spent indoors (I've got a cold anyway) telling myself that the spring flowers need rain as well as sunshine. Not that very much is out yet - just a few yellow tips on the odd daffodil, appropriately enough for St David's Day. And maybe the grass seeds I've sown on the new ramparts at the end of the garden will germinate.

Last night we went out to the annual dinner of the "Vivre en Chataigneraie". We were the guests of Lucienne who unfortunately wasn't well enough to come herself, and we had a lovely time. The main dish was Civet de Cerf, or venison stew, which was very nice even after Caro said "that means it's cooked in blood". Country dancing at the end to the sound (music?) of an accordeon and a set of bagpipes. Strangely well-matched instruments, with the emphasis on "strangely" .....