First snow of the year this week – woke up to this gorgeous Christmas card scene at 6.30 am yesterday …

The school buses were cancelled , the bread delivery didn’t turn up and the power kept going on & off. How long this stunning scene would compensate for the inconvenience was debatable,especially when mid morning I realised that we wouldn’t be able to get out to the shops & we hadn’t stocked the cupboards in war time anticipation.

morning sun over the snow covered lawn

There, I’d seen it – by 11am that was enough. But no, it snowed incessantly all day. At -8°C the project of decluttering the barn was put on hold ( far too cold to get enthusiastic) & I turned my attentions to decluttering the kitchen cupboards instead – mainly to find something for the evening meal.

Confit de canard - a good store cupboard standby

Luckily I found a tin of duck confit – we try to keep a small stock of these for occasions like this or simply for when we just don’t feel like cooking & want something quick & easy. The Périgord is famous for duck & goose products & these tins of 4 -5 confit duck legs can be found everywhere often on promotion. The meat is immersed in duck fat and we keep this in the fridge to make the most delicious sauté or roast potatoes. Quite a few of our guests take these home …a great if slightly alternative holiday souvenir!

duck confit & sauté potatoes - a quick & easy store cupboard standby

This morning was deceptively sunny belying a very chilly -7°C and a path like an ice rink. Still no school buses or shopping trips but a beautiful day for a walk and a great photographic opportunity.

La Grange - one of our cottages for 4 people

The Farmhouse, Le Laurier and L'Atelier

View over the pitch & putt from the Farmhouse terrace

In the afternoon sun this snow covered tree looked strangely like early cherry blossom!

View over the pitch & putt from the road

On another cheery note we have some lovely plump blue tits, coal tits,sparrows & robins at Les Crouquets all fattened up on a diet of bacon fat, cheese rind & recent baking failures.

a coal tit & his mate feasting on cheese rind

A plump little robin profiting from my baking disasters!

Tomorrow is set to be another cold day, -5°C  &  more snow apparently so undoubtedly still no school transport. Do we negociate the treacherous, winding country lanes in a bid to do the right thing, knowing full well that 90% of the school won’t turn up, including the teachers or do we enjoy nature’s extra holiday a little bit longer….?

PS – 18th January: -5°C, more snow and still no school transport….we have decided to take that extra holiday…