Of Mice and vines

Still pruning in our plot of Les Crochettes, this allows me a close look of the vines and their soil every week.

Pretty full of holes, aren't they?

The plot looks like this in many places. Almost as perforated as a swiss cheese, I'd say.

Paradise of mice
Already last summer the fields and plots around our village were full of mice and other small rodents. At this time we had to move our tomcat to live at the farm. He is a hunter and came from a place next to the forest and straight to paradise where he made it his special duty to bring back up to five trophies per night.

This January I've alreday received a first visit by one of his colleagues in the vines. It's most unusual to meet a big matou here at this time of year. I guess there is still a lot of mice around and maybe they don't hibernate much longer.

They'd better watch their steps as they are obviously watched as well.

Cold weather or
The weather still supplies us with a bit of snow that usually melts almost instantly. Next week is supposed to be colder and with more snow to come. But frankly, I find it hard to imagine that winter can still come to get us.

We even hear birds sing. Not just the usual soundtrack of winter, the caw of the crows. A sign of early spring?

With still almost one third of the plots left to prune, I guess, I'll just go for it. My plan is to finish the first half of my part of the plot this weekend.

Maybe I'll listen to the song of birds. Maybe watch village cats watch the underground dwellings of the mice of the vines.

Enjoy your weekend.