Now I don't mean the comic, quality as that is, I use beano in the sense of a day's outing, such as used to be taken by workers from the East End of London, because I took a rare day off - needless to say the weather was not propitious but as a couple of things had been booked, Tuesday it was.
I went with a chum, and first of all we stopped at the lac de Rillé, an artificial lake (supposedly the largest in Touraine) which is normally about two thirds empty at this time of year. Not in 2021! The trees around had been damaged by the storms with strong winds in June and July and there was still some tidying up going on. It looks a lovely place for walks later in the year and over winter, with a bird hide. We then went to Langais for lunch and a mooch around, admiring the outside of the Chateau, the inside of the Church and a very lovely bronze sculpture on the outside of the Church. I couldn't photograph it, but the Church had the dodgiest ever crucifix above the altar, made by a local art group. The pose on the Cross was actually more #paintmelikethosefrenchgirls, while the back was decorated with Nespresso capsules.
Last week I was worrying about blight. The potatoes escaped it seems as they were second earlies and therefore pretty well over before it hit. I've resorted to the French trick of removing leaves, growing tips and anything that displeases me, and at the moment we are under control. Evidence that the potatoes are looking good below, as well as a view of ripening tomatoes as proof!
The Garden and the Meadow are good for wildlife and we find lots of evidence and see lots of things. This week's interesting finds were a large and beautiful red admiral sunning himself on a log pile, a comma butterfly (I think) gorging itself on the buddleia, and the sloughed skin of a reasonably sized grass snake under the matting that we cover the potato plot with.
Some know of my challenges with chilli plants - the fact that chickens eat them is a particular annoyance. The fact that my brother has a couple in a pot on his terrace and despite being planted in the same soil at the same time as mine, his always do better, is even more irritating. So it is with great pride that I announce the first flower bud on my chilli plants this year. Of course they need sun and heat, which is lacking this year, but it is a start!
Incidentally, if you are reading this on a computer rather than a phone, if you click/double click on the photos you get a bigger, better view of them.
Until next week!
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