Frosty Morning @ Camont

Arriving to a new place at night is always mysterious and wonderful because you never

know exactly what to expect when you draw the curtains in the morning.

I woke up on my first morning at Camont to quite a lovely surprise.
The Garonne Canal runs right past Kate's property, parallel to the Garonne River close by.
Since this patch of the canal runs east-west, the sun rises at one end and sets at the other.

And this particular morning, while a subtle sun was rising to the east...

...a very full and tired moon was setting to the west.

Camont is situated right outside of the well-populated city of Agen in the southwest of France, directly between Bordeaux and Toulouse. This area is the most agriculturally diverse region of France, with fields of apples, kiwis, fava beans and grapes stretching on forever.

The farmland for miles and miles was covered in a delicate frost.
And there wasn't a sound to be heard besides my crunching footsteps on the solid earth.

From the wood pile, to the herbs...

...and even the new buds on the trees, the little crystals shone in the morning light.

I have grown to love the morning walks around the property
with Kate's horse, I mean dog, Bacon, whose favorite activity is chomping on the
old, smelly compost meant for the chickens.

Spring usually comes early in this area, so thought the duck.
He was clearly perplexed by his unusually frozen pond.

Frozen crab apples hang on for dear life by their chilled, stiff stems.

Henri, the graceful male head of the chicken coup, watches protectively over his brood while
they feast on a corn, barley and wheat mixture.

Glimmering and shimmering, the sun climbs over the distant rolling hills.

Slowly but surely the rays warm up the yard, and everything is peaceful.

The house dates from the mid 1700's, with a pigeonnier, a piggery, the barn and the extremely minimal living quarters all attached. It has a very cozy feel.

What a perfect welcome to a new home.