Musings of a shepherd.

A Weekend Away

We have just come back from a long weekend at our house near Carcasonne, it was good to get away even for a few days. As always we have to get our friends to come in twice a day to look after the animals. So we don't like to be away for long as it seems like an imposition on them, although they always insist that they don't mind. We took some odds and ends of furniture and bits and pieces to start what will be a long process of packing and clearing the house. We have not even had an offer yet but it seems sensible not to leave it all to the last minute. It also makes it easier to keep the house tidier if there is less clutter!!!

Now we are back home and feeling just a bit sad that our move to pastures new is as far away as ever. I am trying to motivate myself to get on with a writing project that I have started but it's hard. I often read how writers can't find enough time for their writing but in my case at the moment I have too much time!!!!!!

Since we are semi-retired from farming there is much less to do either with the animals or on the land and instead of having too much to do I feel a bit lost with too much time on my hands. I have to make an adjustment in the way I spend my time and so far it hasn't been easy.Why are we never satisfied with what we have? I do know how lucky I am and I am just a bit down after the weekend.

On a more positive note, and I am most of the time, there is an abundance of mushrooms in the wood, more than I have ever seen before. Perhaps another indicator of a hard Winter to come. I have picked lots of Parasol mushrooms and yesterday I found a treasure trove of Ceps. This is a much sort after mushroom so I was delighted to find them. I have stored some in olive oil to enjoy in the winter months, the rest we had sauteed in butter with some pasta. It seems that even when I feel a bit down I only have to take a walk in the fields or woods to see something to cheer me up. And it's free and on my doorstep.

I have noticed in some of the other blogs that I visit that several of them have been talking about relating their memories. As so often happens I stumble across the very sentiment that has been on my mind. This blog was meant to be the Musings of a Shepherd so I need to get back to my original idea before I forget all that has happenned to me over the past 15 years. So if you can bear with me watch this space. And now for my first emoticom!!! I hope it works.!!!!