keira

This is Keira. Well, she wasn't Keira at this point, she was an abandoned dog with no name that we had found the day before along the apricot path. Keira was hiding out behind the wee hangar and even though she had a lead around her neck that wasn't attached to anything, she would not budge from that spot. It must've been about 3 days since she had been abandoned there, with no food and the weather the coldest it's been in weeks. She was aggressive, barky, and bared her teeth when you tried to get close to her.

That afternoon, dad, Danielle Alexandre, Tristan who works for the mairie, and I all went to try and coax her out and take her to the local dogs' home. Danielle was amazing...no fear whatsoever and had Keira feeding from her hand within a few minutes. I left little piles of dog biscuits in a line towards dad's car, and we led her towards the boot. She jumped in and we drove her to the mairie where they have a little outdoor area for strays and hunting dogs that are found and they keep them there until the owner turns up or they are taken to the SPA (France's equivalent to our RSPCA).

Within half an hour of being rescued, fed, and watered, Keira was like a new dog: wagging her tail, allowing us close enough to pat her, and crying when we went to leave her! Such a difference :)

Later that afternoon, Danielle came to tell us that rather than bring the dog to the shelter, Tristan had decided to keep her, and she was now happily ensconced chez lui with a new life ahead of her...and a new name - Keira - to go with it!

That evening we celebrated NYE at Georges and Carole's with a MASSIVE meal: sparkling wine with nuts, pickled vegetables, tapenade and salmon toasts to start; salad of endives, apple, raisins, nuts, and watercress; foie gras with spiced bread and fig jam; then choucroute de la mer consisting of salmon, cod, and smoked haddock with spuds and white cabbage for first main; followed by wild boar with pears and prunes and mashed potato; chocolate cake with salted caramel sauce; coffee and homemade speculoos biscuits; and, finally, lychees and mandarin oranges...all with plenty of wine of course. Started at 8.30pm and back at 2am! Stuffed!