Our house in France is essentially in the middle of a field. The front part is our own bit of field; the garden and drive between the house and the road. The rest of the field was sold off to a nearby farmer who knows how many decades ago. His land effectively comes right up to the walls of the house along the back and the two sides but he leaves us a walkway when he cultivates it. He also owns and cultivates an enormous field across the road so our own little bit of paradise is basically an island in the middle of a huge plot of land owned by one farmer. This year he has grown nothing on any of this land.
Back in April he spread weed killer on all of it then over the following few weeks he created three huge piles of dung (cow manure). Since then we have been surrounded by dung heaps!
They ponged for a few days after each truckload of dung was added to a pile, and for several weeks we were inundated with flies inside and outside the house. Living in the countryside has its challenges!
We knew that sooner or later he would do something with this dung and sure enough, yesterday morning he turned up with his digger and tractor with the muck spreader attached. Of all the agricultural processes we have to live with, muck spreading is the one I dread the most!
Unfortunately he picked a time when we had visitors. However, they are young and fairly laid back about most things so we still barbecued and sat out late.
He parked his muckspreader in the gateway directly opposite the house as he left to go home late in the evening, gave us a cheery wave and wished us a pleasant evening!
Most agricultural processes result in some kind of stuff being flung about and I'm worried that the lower one might get damaged. Nick thinks it will be fine but I'm not so sure so I have placed a sheet of old cardboard over it for when he spreads the muck on the back field. If the cardboard remains untouched all will be well but if it ends up splattered we will have to either build some kind of screen around it or get the engineers back to try harder to mount it higher up.
Still speaking of dung, yesterday some unwelcome post arrived.
Our lovely neighbours in the UK keep an eye on our house there and once a week check the post. We usually decide what is worth sending on to us here and decided that an unfamiliar looking letter was worth a look.
It was a parking fine for me from my visit in July.
On my last day there I had arranged to meet a former work colleague at a Starbucks cafe which was on her way home from work and convenient to both of us. The restaurant is in a small retail park just off the M1 and serves as a motorway services. She was held up at work and a bit late arriving but we had a nice long catch up over a couple of coffees.
The fine is because I stayed ten minutes longer than the time allowed for free. The parking spaces right outside the door of the cafe are owned by someone who employs a car parking company to collect ludicrously high charges for people who stay too long. £60 if I pay within fourteen days and £100 if not.
They turned out to be expensive cups of coffee and illustrate one of the saddest things about what is happening in the UK. There are rip off schemes and scams in everything.
While our young visitors have been here we have taken them all over this part of France and parked in plentiful car parks entirely for free.
These car parks monitored by private companies are becoming more common, and more unpleasant. Such unexpected expenses are so frustrating. Round here many of the council run coastal carparks have apps for payment by phone. But there are at least 5 different apps. And often the phone signal is rubbish. And people without smart phones can't use them because the cash/card payment part isn't working properly...
ReplyDeleteWhat goes as progess for some is not the same for many people. The disenfranchised become even more so.
DeleteOh dear what a shi**y blog in almost all respects! Cheers Diane
ReplyDeleteIf it's any consolation I've just been charged nearly €40 for a bottle of gas I didn't take and couldn't use even if I did. Intermarché is now self-service for bottles of gas, and what I didn't realise was that there are two different companies operating it. Plus if you want help and are confused, you have to be there in the morning so the petrol pump attendant can help you. In the afternoon the booth is empty and petrol is self-serve too. On the other hand, when I did ask for help at Intermarché they were nice, and helped as much as they could, but it wasn't much. Gah!
ReplyDeleteYour mishap was fortunately remedied. Mine fell foul of a rip off parking policy and "don't give a shit" retail outlet.
DeleteEnjoy your blog, sad about the rip off, here’s some lyrics from ex Englishman Ian Hunter, Rip Off,
ReplyDeleteI really don't know why - England's such a ripoff
It's crazy, but it's true
I really don't know why - England wants to rip off you
England wants to rip off you, England wants to rip off you
I really don't know why - England's such a ripoff
It's crazy, but it's true
Oh I really don't know why - England wants to rip off
England wants to rip off , England wants to rip off
Dear me! Perhaps in time one gets used to the smell?
ReplyDeleteAllegedly the nose does get used to the smell but personally I have found that it depends on the nose. Mine is particularly keen, sadly.
Delete