Well, I say all quiet, but the countryside is rarely quiet. There are frogs that make the most awful noises, sometimes just for the fun of it. There are birds, so many birds, so many different songs, from the eerie cry of a buzzard having fun on the thermals, to the quiet but intense song of a robin - it sounds so melodic and sweet, but I think in the main they are saying "b*gger off, we want to explore where you are for a feed". Annoyingly, after the quiet of lockdowns, there are planes, all sizes and at all different heights, from the air force boys who went over at about 200 feet last weekend, through the light aircraft from the local aerodrome, to the jets up high taking people to and from Scandinavia and Portugal.
But this week it has been the Moisson - the grain harvest, with the combines out in the fields of wheat and barley, followed by tractors and massive trailers to take the grains, then more tractors with bailers to turn the straw into vast wheels, and finally lifts and more tractors with the big trailers to take those round bales away into storage. It doesn't stop for weekends or lack of light - once conditions are right, the competition and demand for the machines is such that they are on the move 24/7, and bad luck if you are near where they are working overnight!!
Last weekend was fiercely hot and humid too - with temperatures up over 30ºC by lunchtime and not below again until after 6pm. Two days of it was enough to undo the good that the rain the week before had done to the ponds, and sadly at least one of my fish has expired (no photo required). It also blasted the ripe broad beans from the second sowing, and as it was too hot to pick them, they too got fried. We rescued some beans and have sown them in some land that needs a bit of green manure, but whether that will work remains to be seen. It was a disappointment. The photo shows the fried out pods along with three carrots from the perpetual rounds of thinning them out, with one almost worth eating!
On a more positive note, and surprisingly with the cooler weather, I spotted a couple of my favourite butterflies yesterday - two swallowtails were enjoying a quick snack on the buddleia. They are often found on lavender round here, but I've not seen them enjoying the buddleia before. Of course it was pretty impossible to get close to them so these two photos are the best I could manage.
There was also some fruit! Yesterday while doing the rounds, I spotted that the mirabelles were ripe, so went back for a bowl and picked all that I could, leaving those with a bit of damage or rot for the local critters, but for once getting some for us. Enough for a 4 portion mirabelle crumble - wowzers!
We have not been responsible for any looting or destruction, but we have found evidence that it has been going on. This year's thrush anvil is surrounded by empty and broken shells and it is hard to spot the stone that is being used. I do love this as a sight, as I am very fond of the thrushes, and they do a good job. Apart from a couple of well munched tomato plants, so far we haven't had any major snail damage this year to small plants, and this is why!
I like black flowers - I know they aren't natural in this part of the world, but i really enjoy them, even if they aren't really jet black. This year I succumbed to temptation and bought an exotic petunia (just the one) called Black Glitter - the glitter effect comes from tiny white flecks on the flowers - you can't see that from a distance, but you can admire how happy it is in its beer barrel. Another that is happy in its beer barrel is my black day lily - this really is stretching the definition but it is how it was sold to me!
Not quite the grapes of wrath, but certainly very happy grapes and magnificent bunches on our vine this year. Any marks are due to them being brushed past by a car as we drive into the courtyard. The vine is loaded with them, so I am looking forward to making large quantities of grape jelly - no point making your own wine around here when you can buy excellent professionally-made wine en vrac (not bottled) for 2,80€ a litre! Also these aren't wine grapes, but table grapes, although with pips so not polite eating grapes. The chickens love them too.
On a serious note, the riots in the urban centres are frightening and disappointing. Looting a carton of milk from your local convenience store that won't open for a while now as the owner tries to repair the damage, and your family have to find the money to travel to another, more distant shop is insane. Similarly trashing and burning down the youth centre where you happily spend time in the winter and during the long holidays makes no sense. It has nothing to do with the death of a young man, driving a Polish registered car in a bus lane without insurance or a valid drivers licence, and sadly paying for such minor delinquency with his life. A minority of people are destroying holidays, livelihoods, neighbourhoods, reputation and ensuring that festivities people have been looking forward to for ages are cancelled. I hope it stops soon.
Ideally by next weekend, if not sooner! Have a good week!
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