We have had our first proper snow. The trees haven't yet shed their leaves or apples. So some trees are quite heavily weighed down. It's not cold and as we had a little sun I was delighted to take a few images and dodge the snow falling from the trees.

 I have had a bit of a break from painting. I am not great at sitting when the weather is good and having space to garden means the chances of me sitting down is even less likely. I do get quite intensely into painting once I go through a phase and there are no shopping malls to distract me here. I do have to walk a bit and today I did a circle. It is a little cold needed gloves and a coat would've been sensible. I also managed a trip to the second hand store. We needed expanding foam for the gaps in the roof.

 After a bit of scraping last night I spent today scraping even more. I was a bit worried how George might react but thankfully he was quite impressed. The stone corbels have a beam of wood across the top. These fireplaces are typical of humble cottages in The Morvan.

When it's bright like this I do to work in this cottage we are hoping to move to. It's nextdoor to the current house we live in. George bought one and was offered the other a few years later. It was when they were very cheap and everyone was moving to the towns. Now of course there is a bit of a reversal going on. Slowly still. I have my Welsh Gaudy jug that reminds me of Aberystwyth Wales. In fact this cottage is very Welsh looking too.

There was a leaky pipe that one day needs to go along the floor maybe pull up a few tiles. I know the old tiles are beneath these. I am restraining myself not to start trying to remove these hexagonal ones. There is probably a layer of cement between the 2 layers. I painted the cupboard door light blue. I did try removing the paint but the paint remover I bought was really weak and I realised the wood was not that attractive underneath anyway. Just thin pine.

Cats are curious to be in this new place.

I am playing with making a new chandelier. 

I also painted the cupboard doors on the sink. This is the kitchen.The green splash back is painted to look like tiles I want to find some painted ceramic tiles if I can.

This was taken a couple of weeks ago now. It was taken on my way to the shops. I have been visiting my junk shop every week before it shuts for winter. I have a new one to visit that opens Wednesdays and Sundays, Emaus. 

I had to clear out this shed to put my Morris Traveller away for the winter

it was full of hay. I found a family of hedgehogs sprawled around the floor. So I put them in a box and they carried on sleeping until the evening when they became very active and squeeky. They have moved into another shed now.

I collected some brake parts for my car. The brakes are always a bit weak on these cars. I had to buy a Servo kit for mine after one to many brake fails.

I am working on my studio too. It"s becoming a bit full.

Hans and Dedé who are my neighbours. Hans is a writer and was a ships captain from Holland. Dedé is a farmer who has a lovely old tractor. He has always lived in the Moravn.

Last week I ventured out on my bicycle with some Dutch friends. I mention this because they are cycling a lot and they are also very long legged creatures. Anyway it was really pleasurable to be cycling along the Nivernais canal towards Corbigny from Chatillon en Bazois. We got as far as the 16 locks and as Eric and Wilma cycled down to the bottom of the flight of locks I took pictures of an intriguing lock keepers cottage with all manner of interesting things to look at including large ammonites and little assemblages of things.

There was a lot of rain last night the canal seems quite full the distant house is a lockkeepers cottage. The cottages are known for housing a community of eccentrics and artists near Corbigny. Here we are about 5 kilometres away.

This section of the canal was down in a huge cutting that was tunnelled underground. 

Flat tarmacked cycle paths where even I managed 40kms. There were occasional cars visiting the cottages or fishermen.

A lockkeepers cottage near Mont et Marré

Arriving back to Chatillon en Bazois.