Rosemary in Bloom With Holly

I’m not sure what the hell is going on. This week’s forecast for my area of France was sunshine and temperatures in the mid sixties. What I have experienced is far from this. There appears to be a persistent impenetrable cloud cover blanketing my village and any I travel to. It is gray, wet and I’m over it. I have been desperately seeking color and as you can see by my pictures, I have been lucky enough to find it in the gardens.

Red in the Gray

Garden in St. Denis

As I wake up today, I see the fog and wonder if perhaps Steven King would be inspired. It is misty, it is gray, and I’m losing my positive outlook. Every walk I take with Sophie inevitably involves a bath because the mist makes everything wet and she is like a little mop picking up whatever she can.

Walk in Oisseau

Last night marked a major milestone in my life in France. For the first time in three years I had trick-or-treaters. The last two years I have had a bowl of candy ready by the door and there has been no knock. Last night I had three different parties of children come and I was able to hand out candy. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me. I feel like it may have meant that the community has warmed to me and trusts me a bit more. I feel like it is a sign of integration. And if you are reading this rolling your eyes, I don’t care. Last night, for the first time I was not the “Let’s not stop at that house. I’ve heard it is rented by an American.”, person. Victory is a nearly empty candy bowl. * That I haven’t eaten.

All That Remains