Wow! You can read precious manuscripts online

I've just spent an hour or so looking through the wonderful manuscripts of William Blake and Leonardo Da Vinci at the British Library. Of course I wasn't there in person – I'm actually sitting here in my dressing gown, on my computer, with the aid of the Internet. The truly amazing bit about it is that the software (which only works with Windows Vista) allows you to turn the pages, rotate the book, magnify parts, and follow notes. It's spectacular. And can be found here: http://ttpdownload.bl.uk/browserapp.xbap - If you have Vista (it's only been released for a day, but you might have been quick off the mark)

Chillin' out with the pups

Thought you might like to know about essential dog-walking kit in January in the south of France. From the top down. Bright orange woolly hat to protect ears and signal to zealous hunters that you're not a grizzly bear. Lavender fleecy scarf to stop nose dropping off. One shirt and two woolly jumpers (unseen) beneath black sheepskin coat (bought really for smart outings but keeps bottom warm so what the hell.) Walking boots and cords. Thermal underwear still in cupboard waiting for REALLY cold day. Dog harnesses for easy catching. Colour co-ordination - not a hope.
Yes, winter has finally come, thank God. It's been gorgeous and balmy til now but weird in a scary global-warming sort of a way, so it's a great relief that we've moved on from autumn and are racing through the logs in the wood-pile. To misplace winter would be careless indeed. Up in the vineyard the wind is bob-sleighing off the Pyrenees. Flynn the husky is in his Siberian element and the slightly less aerodynamic Kit the labra-dish barrels on in blissful sniff-dom. It's freezing in the wind but wonderful.
Oh yes, the sunglasses. Essential. There's still not a cloud in the bright blue sky.
(Walk statistics. Poos: 2 Pees: 473 Hunters: 1 Running away: 0)

I can't keep on about the weather..

..but it really is the hot topic here. It has to be about 18 degrees - on January 6th. We had lunch on the balcony in our shirtsleeves. Seems most odd that I'm about to take the Christmas tree down. What happened to slipping on ice when the tree goes out of the front door? Ali never takes her sunglasses off, but this winter she's needed them.


I tried to take a photo of the sun on the balcony, but a dog called Kit (the piglete) got in the way. Now you know what a flea sees.


Just about every day, after lunch, our very bored Portuguese neighbour, Maria, comes to ask why we rarely go to visit her. The answer is always the same - we're busy - and she comes every day, so when would we go? But she is huge fun and has an excellent, if rude, sense of humour. I call her my French aunt. She took citizenship here donkey's years ago. As she's our main reason for daily French, we probably speak it with a Portuguese accent.


I told her I would put her photo on the internet. She said 'then your Mum will say "that's the little old woman from over the road"'. She's 80 and a real treat. Life here would be a lot less without her.

Happy New Year !

Well, I'm a bit late, as usual. It's now three days into 2007, so forgive me. It's suddenly the time for updating websites so I've been working on a new one for Kilnwood Alpacas in deepest Oxfordshire. I can't give it a link yet as it isn't finished and it's all Top Secret until then.

Of course Microsoft, in it's panic to nail everything down after years of criticism for producing vulnerable software, has released Internet Explorer 7 which has broken millions of websites. Any site you go to now which asks you to click loads of confirmation boxes before you can move an inch is probably a victim. For me it has meant a complete re-write of the alpaca site since the menus were shot to pieces. Never mind, I prefer the look of the new one.

A short blog today as I have to go to install a lovely new Dell laptop and ADSL for some people in Puissalicon. Will I be able to pass La Croix Belle, makers of the luscious-est wine in the region, without popping in for a bottle or two?