Photos around the garden or close by.

I have blogger's block AGAIN, mainly due to the rubbish weather we have been having for weeks and weeks!  We have no desire to go out unless necessary, which has therefore restricted our travels! So here are some favourite photos which have featured on my photodiary over the past month, in no particular order.  Certainly many signs of Spring are around, but it has yet to feel like it!!

Cowslips are everywhere

My kitchen orchids have been flowering for ages!

Great tit enjoying a sunflower seed.

Dandelion "clock"

Hyacinth

No, I got here first!

Greenfinch

This looks like a good place for a rest!

and another greenfinch

Now what do you think is going on over there?

An elusive sparrow; they seem to vanish the moment the camera appears.

Landscape on a daylight moon.

Forsythia

Flowering cherry

Chaffinch

Goldfinch

Mirabelle plum flowers have just opened.

The only warm day we seem to have had so far woke up a few of our common lizards.

Loved this rainbow!!

If only I could paint this; perhaps I should try!

See also - My Life Before Charente Updated 08/04/2013

and my daily photo diary  HERE

http://photodiarydps.blogspot.com 

The Promised Renovation Update

When we bought our house in 2005 there was much we wanted to do, but due to various circumstances (the economy being one!), renovation has taken rather longer than we hoped or intended!  The final phase of work was to make 3 rooms upstairs in the grenier (attic) of the barn, and last year I helped a friend put the ceiling into this area, with  insulation above. The latter is 300 millimetres (one foot) thick - the current recommended standard! - see here.

The kitchen and lounge renovation, if you are interested in going back, is here.

The very dark earth- floored barn at the other end of the house, which became our bedroom, is here.

Finally, what has been keeping us in complete chaos for the past few weeks, is HERE.  I have put these photos as a stand alone page for my convenience and I am hoping that this does not deter you from viewing them.

Meanwhile, autumn has well and truly arrived here, and the temperatures are on their way down, with possible frosts early next week, so the forecast says at the moment!

Our oak tree is dropping acorns everywhere, but sadly we have no pigs around here who might benefit!

These pumpkins  will have to be brought in this week, before the cold arrives

This is a whopper of a butternut; it's not really ready to come in, but it cannot survive a frost either!

The chard looks great and this is a fantastic survivor in cold weather.

and last but not least, the butterflies are still fluttering around. 

Small Copper - Lycaena phlaeas.

Thanks Noushka

 

See also - My Life Before Charente updated  7 October 2012 

This, That and the Other!!

I am sorry not to be very good about blogging at the moment; I just do not feel 100%, but really hope to be back to normal health very soon!

On Sunday, the nearby village of Vitrac held its annual Bric-a-Brac (car boot sale).  The early autumn is the traditional time for these events and there will be one every week at villages in the area for the next 4-6 weeks.

This was my fourth year as a participant, but apart from the second year when I sold almost everything, the rest have not been very successful from the moneymaking viewpoint!  Nevertheless, it is good for us to be seen to be joining in with the community activities. Early set-up of one's stand is essential and we had to be up at 05h00! By the time we arrived on site at 06h30 (in the dark!), we were almost the last there!!  It was very chilly while we set up our stand, as the village is in a steep valley, and it seemed to take an age for the sun to lift its head over the trees to warm us up. A few low clouds hindered the process.  Later in the day, we were putting up sun umbrellas to cool off!

The event was very popular with sellers; we were told there were 110 stands, each local resident with an allocated 4 metres of frontage free. A long walk around! The bar and restaurant tent did a roaring trade all day!

The pretty bridge leading into the village of Vitrac-St-Vincent.

This side view of the same bridge was taken close  to where we had our Bric-a-Brac stand.

Our little 4 metre stand is behind the gentleman in the red and black striped shirt, Nigel is standing on the left, looking cold! You can see  by the clothing that it was still quite cool when I took these photos.

The early morning mist still lifting down the length of the field.

Anything goes, crockery, books, a steering wheel and even an old radio, but also loads of what we thought was junk! 

I loved these ships that were for sale, particularly the ones at the bottom on the left; the sails were made from sea shells.

Who could resist the cuddly teddy bear?

We returned home exhausted at about 7 p.m. with very little cash to show for our long day's efforts, but a lovely sunset did greet us on arrival.   Also these bright little moths were around to say goodnight to two very weary people.

Thanks to Susan this has been identified as Essex Emerald Thetidia smaragdaria,

This has been confirmed as
Opisthograptis Luteolata  or Brimstone; it was actually quite yellow, although it looks green here.

 

See also - My Life Before Charente updated  September 7 2012 

Quadruplets Possibly Sextuplets !!

Further to the last post, here is an update on the chicks, Black Redstarts (Phoenicurus ochruros).  I have been watching them as closely as possible and only in my last photo, taken at 7 days old, do there appear to be six youngsters in the nest.  It is one of the smallest nests I have ever seen, though fairly deep.  I am wondering however if they are all going to fit in it for much longer!!  See how many you think there are ?

Mum appears to be doing a fantastic job and appears very patient with me taking a look every couple of days.

27 June 2012 above

29 June 2012

Finally, on 2 July 2012 at a week old, I can see what I think are 5 beaks here, but there also looks like another eye hidden on the left. Six maybe?

You might also like My Life Before the Charente  updated 28 June 2012.

Some people seem to be having a problem following this link from their reader; I am aware of the problem, but unable to fix it.  If anyone has a solution, I will be more than happy to hear about it.

Quadruplets!

Quadruplets (I think) were born yesterday, 24 June 2012 to our pair of Black Redstarts (Phoenicurus ochruros).  Mother and children well at the time of going to print!

Updates will follow as and when I can get them without upsetting the family.

Round the Garden - Spring is in the Air!!

At long last, the weather seems to be warming up (it was a windless 22 C (72F) degrees yesterday!) and there are a few signs that spring is approaching.  I only hope that we do not have another cold spell.  The sun's warmth has been very welcome and we have both enjoyed the heat on our backs. We have seen the occasional early butterfly and bee, and the lizards have reappeared in the last couple of days; it is good to see them basking in the sun.

 The usual avian suspects like black caps, great tits, chaffinches and goldfinches  have stayed in the garden over winter, enticed by the food we put out. The blue tits are still coming to the window sill for food, their favourite being sunflower seeds!

There are several hyacinths out, and to my delight, I now see 3 daffodils. Most of the bulbs had rotted after the snow melted in February!

A lone snowdrop hidden in the shade

The cactus seem to have survived the big freeze and they are enjoying the sunshine

  The bluebells are looking healthy and I hope they will soon form a mass of blue flowers

The wild violets are happy in their patches; the top picture shows that the flies are also again in evidence!

The hydrangea, having been pruned back, is starting to shoot all over

 One of my followers  told me the name of this plant some time ago, but I am afraid I have forgotten!! Can anyone out there come to my rescue?