the smell of fresh grass

Two weeks. Two weeks in which the world has been turned upside down. Yes I said I wouldn't write about corona. So much has been said about it. But since countries have 'locked down', Europe has been denied access to each other, shops and restaurants have been closed as a measure and schools, in all countries, the world has gone mad. At least some people. Is there massively hoarding on the groceries, because the supermarkets remain open. Toilet paper in particular is bought in large numbers. Craziness! We still have to go shopping. Have everything in the house but the ordinary things are running out. I wonder how hoarding here in the supermarket leads to empty shelves ...

Well, we just went to get groceries. Unbelievable. What a crowd. The doors were also closed at the entrance because many people were inside. Eggs were gone, potatoes, I saw people stocking up on pasta and all meat shelves were empty, as were the fresh vegetables. It was replenished again. I have been 'modest' in taking what we need, but have taken into account that I might not be able to go to the supermarket for a few weeks. For the groceries that one supermarket no longer had, we went to the next. Everything was still happy there. So only 4 packs of flour (Epautre) to bake bread, and of course food for the animals. Eggs, potatoes. Our refrigerator is filled just like the freezer. The stock of chocolate and coffee also replenished. I was a bit embarrassed, but when I look this way, we have done it very nicely. Once home, I read a message that France is going to be totally locked down: from what I understand it is that there will be a curfew at 6 pm and one has 48 hours to get to its final destination and stay there for a long while.

After this, one should not move, except to the doctor, hospital or to get food and groceries. Police and army will be deployed.

This would probably soon be announced officially. It's getting serious. We'll be fine. Have the space around us (16,000 m2 of land to work on and to walk, distance enough to others. The stock is also sufficient, I think. And otherwise we'll see. We've come a long way with everything and by then the lockdown may be a bit milder. Let's hope so. For all those people who do become seriously ill with the virus, this should simply be taken ...

Anyway. We have not been idle at all the past few days. In a race against time to get the gite ready, we decided to improve the gite's bathroom as well. And of course we got a booking. But time was going to be tight because of that. So we worked hard. Old stuff gone. Bought new. (Luckely before the lock-down of the hardware store too) And then build the shower yourself. Building walls. Tiling. I did not know that I could get so much muscle pain everywhere. I have to say: the result is really there. The bathroom has become much nicer, more convenient and more representative. Unfortunately, the booking has been canceled due to the corona. So we can now slow down the last part.

We all long for the escape from winter. There has been almost no winter here, except for some frost and a stray wet snowflake. But a lot of rain and wind. We are surrounded by many trees. And also a lot of birds. They have been whistling their highest song for a while. And now, now the sun has also promised to shine a little more. The temperature will rise, and the flowers will shoot out of the ground. Who doesn't long for spring? I do! With that day when the wet soil has become a bit easier to walk on, and the grass is already very high, the lawn mower has been removed from the shed. (No, not yet the lawn mower to sit on. It still has to wait with an empty battery) At our house, just like the gite, the grass is already quite natural. Even though the field is bumpy, with large pollen of grass and burrows of the voles, it is quite successful to shorten it. The muscles were already trained by tiling the shower, and just a little less painful. So I happily push on our field.

Longing so much for the spring to come. For summer.

I cherish every flower that is now struggling through the clay. For me, these are small signs of spring. I love them: you can see wild primroses everywhere, soft yellow in color. Probably weeds here in France. Just like the delicate white flowers I see on our land somewhere. And the grass. I like the smell of freshly cut grass. Sweet smelling from the wild clover that mixes through it. Healthy breath of oxygen. We really need it.