The big thaw is here!

Well, it's thawing well today. The roads are clear & the grass is beginning to appear again.
Limoges today was almost back to normal.
The cold weather is set to return again this weekend, but hopefully the Limousin will escape the horrendously low temperatures of the past two weeks.
Wherever you are, stay warm.

Brrrr, the big freeze has arrived in France!

Well, in our part of France anyway, we have night time temperatures of up to -20°c and daytime temperatures no more than -8
Lots of snow & ice on the ground, and nowhere to go in the car as we can't get it down the hill.
So, any shopping has to be got on foot 5 kilometers away & back again.
The little birds are so hungry & the ground is as frozen as I've seen it, so putting food out three or four times a day has been the norm.
The Spring bulbs were just popping their heads up before all this freezing weather descended, so I'm hoping they will survive to see the warmth of the sun again. Whether I will, is another matter!

South West France & Limousin in July

Hello & welcome to the July blog about French Country Life & living in  the Limousin area of South West France.
It's been a strange few weeks weather wise. In this part of France, the Haute Vienne, at this time of year, we normally experience some very hot weather. When I say hot, I mean temperatures of up to 40°c which sends the French and expat population running for the shade of the house or garden trees.
However, after a very long, hot Spring, June was considerably cooler with showers and now July has followed suit.
I am very happy about this, not being a lover of the very hot weather, but my little French cherry tomatoes and green beans are not liking it quite as much!
So, this week, I've been indoors a fair bit, making green bean relish and my greetings cards that I sell online.
It can be hard to get just the card you want in France, and the French aren't big into greeting cards, so I decided to set up an online store & make my own. 

There are greeting cards depicting French Country Life, but also many other themes.
Once ordered, they are dispatched either to the recipient or to the buyer. I also offer a customization service, so if there is a card that someone really likes, but it's for a different occasion, I can easily adapt it for the customer at no extra charge.
If you are an English speaking expat & would love to get decent cards, check out my store , Chez Inkflo. 
English Greeting Cards For Expats Everywhere
On the plus side, the weather is doing my potatoes the world of good, so there is a silver lining to even the heaviest of clouds!
Have a good July wherever you are.