Mowing the Orchard

Several weeks ago a man rang me up at dinner time. He turned out to be from the Foyer de Cluny and he was ringing to apologise for not getting back to me sooner. I'd met him some considerable time ago when he and his garden maintenance team of special needs youths were working on a privately owned riverside terrain de loisir (plot of land used for hanging out with your friends and fishing from the riverbank). I liked the look of his nifty little tractor and slasher set up and asked him if he could do my orchard. He said yes, took my phone number, then I never heard from him for months.

Finally he rang and said he was doing riverside plot again, so would I like him to come and do the orchard?!

The finished effect.

On the day he came the weather was less than optimal, with squally rain. I was on the phone to my friend Martine, organising swimming lessons for Ukrainian kids, when he arrived and poked his head in through our front window to say hello. I drove him down to the orchard to show him what he had to deal with, then I had to go to work, as I had clients for a guided visit at Chenonceau. 

When I came back I went down to check how he'd got on, and he'd managed to mow all of it, including the potager. I was really impressed.

The Foyer de Cluny in Ligueil is a wonderful institution, set up to help, house, occupy and support anyone who is physically or intellectually disabled and who thus struggles with modern life. Since March they have also been helping Ukrainian refugees.

The bill arrived by email a few days later, under €300.

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(from Simon: There was meant to be a blog post yesterday, but I obviously never got around to writing it. I thought I had....)