Winter in Normandy (part 2)

Today we took Rosie for a walk round the lake on the outskirts of our nearest small town, a lake fed by the normally diminutive river See which is nevertheless noted for salmon fishing and which, with the river Selune to the south, winds through orchards, forests and farms until it drains into the bay of Mont Saint Michel. The walk was by way of consolation for the routine trip to the vet prior to taking the ferry home. The river is narrow, shallow and fast-flowing, but now after all the rain it is grossly swollen and has begun to spread beyond its banks. The resident mallards were cowering in the fields along the river's edge, joined today by a stray goose. On the way home I noted more signs of spring: tiny clumps of primroses showing beside the road,

 and more evidence of normal February activity, with wayside trees being cut for next year's firewood, logs and brushwood tidily stacked awaiting storage. Everything is very seasonal here, betraying the lingering influence of the rural rhythms of life. If you want to buy a plum tree, don't go to market in April - you'll be too late.