Introduction to a Swanne

Ste Marie
Yesterday's weather: hot, sticky.

For the last couple of days Figgy has had a visitor. Not many people pass by our house apart from the neighbours in their cars on their way to work or home again. If anyone is passing they are usually walkers making a circuit from the village through the woods on this hill behind us, or maybe mushroomers after some of the cepes which the locals find a delicacy and we find a challenge. So we were surprised to find a young mother and her toddler son sitting outside the gates playing with Figgy the other day.

I went to speak to them. 'Bonjour', I said. 'He's very friendly, isn't he?' 'Oh, Madame, he is too friendly' said the young mother. She went on to tell me that she had been to visit Figgy a couple of times in the last few weeks and that he had followed her and her son down to the main road. She was so worried that the cat would run onto the road that she tried to frighten him away before gathering up her little one in her arms and running home.

Home for the summer, she said, is a house opposite where she and her son are staying with her parents for the whole of August. She pointed it out and we chatted for a few minutes before she and her son went on their way.

They returned yesterday. I was hanging out the washing as they passed and I waved to them. She asked if it would bother us if they stopped to play with Figaro again, but they hadn't seen him as they passed the gate. I went to find him and they came into the garden to play for a while. She had brought with her a bag of beans and tomatoes from her parents potager with a little note inside saying that it was from our neighbours opposite, Monsieur and Madame L. In a way I was disappointed. We've always referred to her as Mrs Veranda (or Mrs Veranda-Flapper thanks to her 'own' contribution to this blog some weeks ago). Now, I have to call them by their real names. But we were also very touched that her daughter had taken the trouble to collect up a bag of what were, I must say, delicious beans and tomatoes. She stopped a while and told us about all our neighbours that we haven't yet met. They all live behind big fences and have big dogs so we haven't been bold enough to go and knock on doors.

The little boy is such a sweetie, the sort of child you want to hug to you. He loves Figgy and was amazed by the size of Misty who he followed around the garden as she tried to get away from this child that she hadn't been properly introduced to. The child's name, we were told is Swanne. We've never heard that one before but maybe he was named for his elegant long neck. We are looking forward to their next visit. Perhaps I will wander home with her to meet the Verandas in the flesh instead of by semaphore as she flaps her tea towel over the veranda after every meal.

Delivery update
I had a phone call yesterday from the people who are delivering the chalet, shed and shower. Is Madame sure that a big lorry can get up our driveway to deliver it? Yes, Madame is sure there will be no problem. No, but is Madame sure that there will be access for a big lorry? Yes, Madame is quite sure. OK, then, how do they find the house? I gave directions. Thank you. But is Madame quite sure that the lorry will be able to deliver to her house?

By this time I was beginning to think, like Terry Wogan, 'Is it me?' Yes, there will absolutely, definitely, for certain be NO PROBLEM to get a big lorry up to the house to deliver the chalet and other items. Well, if Madame is sure then they will deliver by the end of the week. This week? Yes, Madame, this week. I didn't quite hear him say normalement but I'll believe it when I see it. He is going to call me when the delivery is imminent.

It wasn't until I had put the phone down that I began to wonder what he would have done if I had said that he couldn't get a big lorry up to the house.