Dressed thus, I drove down to Felletin yesterday to stock up with a few provisions and noticed the flashing sign outside the chemist's indicating minus 8 degrees. Drove back home and had a quick look at the thermometer nailed to the shed. Minus 13. Hah! Cissy townies don't know the meaning of the word 'cold'. Warmed up a bit by wheelbarrowing some wood indoors and chainsawing some other logs in half for the smaller upstairs stove (stock of original smaller logs already exhausted). Then prepared for an evening in. Shoved some chicken bits in the oven and poured a medicinal scotch. Phone rang. Dammit. Isabelle demanded I come down for crepes (apparently yesterday was France's equivalent of Shrove Tuesday, despite being Thursday). Turned the oven right down, donned my fur hat and legged it down there in slippers (couldn't be arsed to don shoes), clutching my scotch. Had a very pleasant nosh-up and returned home. Checked the chicken and luckily it seemed fine. Might re-heat and nosh ce soir, but Georgie said something about re-heating meat can result in death so I might give it to the dogs. Went to bed at around midnight, mighty grateful to whoever invented the 'leccy blanket.
Woke this morning to a welcome bit of sunshine. Still chilly out though. Chopped up some bread for the birds. Then some more. Tough time for those poor little buggers out there. Shall now get dressed and get some more wood in. Definitely need stacks tonight. Clear skies mean even chillier nights. Hah! Bring 'em on!
That's proper cold, I must say. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteReheated chicken is a no-no in this house. We have had too many poorly tums and poorly dogs to risk it. I always bin it.
You look no worse than me in my woolly hat and winter gear, and I do agree with you about it taking an age to get into the outside kit although I am in and out all day so tend to keep my boots on, muddy or otherwise, and grab a huge knitted shawl to wrap round my shoulders. Fingerless gloves, too, are marvelous inventions. As for reheating meat.... Rabbit has never given us trouble when reheating, neither has lamb, neither has chicken which normally only lasts for one meal only as it is normally a cockerel we are eating and they are young and quite small when put into the freezer. But I do cook all our homegrown meat in a pot on the stove, simmering it for hours, so perhaps that will cook all the 'nasties'. Anyway, we have not had any probs with reheating our meat. Two fires! Wow! We only have one smallish log burner, so only heat one room. Electric blankets! Fantastic creations. Even known to get into bed during the day to have a warm up if Hubs has not lit the fire. Hope you stay warm, Tommo. Lovely post.
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