Goat in a tree!

Saturday
Finally we have internet at the house, so I can begin to catch up on all my backblips! A grey overcast day today but still pretty warm. After a morning spent doing odd jobs, we went biking in the afternoon along the Canal du Loing, which connects the Seine (at Saint-Mammès) to the Briare Canal (near Montargis), about fifty miles. It was a very pleasant ride through the countryside, passing through a couple of villages. In one of the villages we passed this house which had a couple of goats and chickens in the back garden. On our way back I was surprised to see this goat part way up a tree! We did about 13 miles return - that was enough for me - at first the tow path was nice smooth crushed gravel, but after a while it deteriorated into just grass, so it was harder going to what I'm used to - virtually all the biking I've done in the States has been on paved trails, with a few smooth crushed gravel. In the evening we were out at a BBQ and barn dance organized by Les Amis de St. Lukes, the English-speaking church in Fontainebleau. Les Amis organize social events, raise funds and donate to various charitable causes. It was a lot of fun, though we discovered that barn dancing isnt one of Roger's strengths - he would always be going right when everyone else was going left, or back when they were going forward! However, one had to give him full marks for trying. Moreover, I hasten to add I wasn't exactly skilful myself! The event was held in a real barn at the home of one of the church members who live the other side of Fontainebleau to us, so we had a fair drive home afterwards, and as we were setting out we could see sheet lightening all around on the horizon, and we hadnt gone far before the rain started and it really threw it down, but at least it had held off until the dance was over.