The days are getting longer

Isn't that a great photo? Louis took it. I'm not going to put up more of his photos, because they are his to share, not mine. If you're family, then you know how to get in touch with him to ask for the link to his album. Anyway, this picture was taken on Christmas Eve, or, I should say, Paul's birthday. I was wearing a necklace and big Christmassy earrings, sure to catch Aurelia's attention, AND Rocky had just climbed up on my lap (more like my chest!). Aurelia LOVES Rocky. Rocky, going on 18, is very patient with her. I've never seen a cat so patient.
Yesterday evening, as I was walking home, I noticed how pretty the clouds were. This was remarkable for two reasons: until late afternoon, it had been rainy and overcast and it was 5 p.m. (17h. in local lingo). 5 and still light out! I ducked into a shop to pick up some things for dinner and it was night when I came out, so the days are not long, yet, but they are getting noticeably longer and that is a great sign.
Tuesday, Emma came home for a little break in her activity. She and G. are going from place to place around France picking up ideas and techniques and looking for a place where they might settle for a while. They find the places to stay via an association: Wwoofing (http://www.wwoof.fr/). This might interest some of you in the States who keep saying you are looking for interesting ways of visiting France. In fact, the association is international, so it might be an interesting inexpensive way to visit lots of places in exchange for participating in the projects.
This afternoon, we're going over to Louis and Gwen's to see the latest work on their apartment, the bathroom. This should be about it, now. They can stop and breathe a little while before they get the urge to sell and move on.