CHAPTER FOURTEEN


When I was a little girl, I used to spend Easter holidays ( renamed Spring
holidays now) at my grand-parents', here in Audierne. Most of the time
Winter in Paris had been cold, dull and grey, so when I arrived here, I was dying to enjoy outdoor games.Yet, my grand-mother would never let me
go out without checking I had wrapped up warm and saying :
" Till April's dead, change not a thread ".
Are weather proverbs fact or fiction ? I really don't know, but when
April comes, the sound of my grand-mother's warning still echoes in 
my mind and I pay attention not to shelf my winter clothes too early.
Anyway,I think April 2015 was the exception that proves the rule.
The weather was simply gorgeous. The temperatures skyrocketed
overnight and some days a scorching sun stuck me on my deckchair,
unable to lift a finger ! Believe me, I don't over-egg the pudding !
April 2015 was just summerlike.
Unfortunately all good things come to an end !
Rain has broken into and even called on wind for help !

So, I am back inside and I have to face the facts : my one month
gardening has left the house neglected. The brooms, mops, rags, feather dusters, and other instruments of torture I had abandonned to their
fate, are eager to get back into action.
Well, even if household chores are not really my cup of tea, when
things have to be done, I don't balk. Except when it comes to cleaning
the windows. It's my pet peeve !! It's tiresome and the windows streakings 
after washing leave me rather dissatisfied.
Considering the number of wonder products I have tested, I guess
I can be awarded the ' best sucker' medal.
Anyway, a few days ago, after watching an umpteenth " how to clean
windows like a pro " video, I decided to invest in a good quality squeegee
and follow the method step by step.
The results surprised me : my windows were as sparkling as ever !
Of course, the day after my elbow and my shoulder hurt, but no gain, no
pain.
The windows were so clean that it was as if there were none.
And that's the snag ...
A poor birdie did not see one of our picture windows and banged its head against it. Knocked-Out  !! We even thought it was dead, but from
time to time it nodded its head gently, so we sprayed some water
on its beak, gave some itty-bitty- crumbs, then we put it on one
pillar of the terrace ( we thought it would be the perfect tarmac).
It stayed there for one solid half-an-hour. in the meantime we had
fetched our " all about birds " book and identified it :
Hypolais Polyglotte . Polyglot !! I searched on the web how to say
tweet tweet in different languages ( German birds say 'peep peep',
whereas Spanish ones say ' pio pio ').
When our survivor flapped its wings and flew away, I thought I 
should never have cleaned my window so thoroughly. If they had not 
been squeaky clean, Hypolais would have changed its flight and would 
not have been scared stiff !