Many thanks to everyone for your kind wishes over the past week. The funeral ceremony went well on Friday, with a nice party afterwards, as Mum would have wanted. Now I have to roll up my sleeves and get down to the paperwork and clearing stuff out. That's my retirement sorted out then!
After the freezing cold and dull days, the weather has warmed up significantly, catching quite a few things on the hop. I saw a Brimstone butterfly this morning, which is crazy, and a demoiselle fly as well. Neither will prosper I fear. We spent a lot of time today at the gardens looking around and taking stock and listening to the birds. It was while doing this at a different vantage point to normal that John was horrified to see the little b@st@rds below.
These disgusting critters have no redeeming features at all - they are pine processionary caterpillars. They are a non-native invasive species with no natural predators in this hemisphere (although greattits and bluetits will eat them now) and the spines, which shed very easily, are extremely toxic to animals and humans, causing if you are lucky, an itchy rash that lasts (from experience) for at least 15 days (they can do much worse). John sprayed the blighters with an insecticide we use on the chickens, and when I am next there, I will wash the area with boiling water and then cold water to flush away the spines. The only good thing about seeing them today is that they are about 2 months too early, so we have to hope that a nice sharp cold snap kills them while turning into moths.
On the other hand, the winter sown crops are starting to grow visibly, so it's not all bad. The broad beans sown just before Christmas are now mostly up and looking healthy - once again I have dodged the bullet that many around here are caught by and the seeds were not all stolen by voles! The first batch of garlic went in more recently and is now showing too. I planted more today, so we should be safe from vampires in 2024.
When we planted our quince tree, we put crocus and snowdrop bulbs around it - perhaps 20 years ago now? Anyway, the crocus did well for a while but are long gone, as are most of the snowdrops, but one clump comes back year after year, tucked in close to the tree trunk. Today they are looking wonderful.
The new beginning? There are new people at the boulangerie La Fontaine in Baugé! So far we have sampled their croissants and their almond croissants - both found to be very good. We have also tried their flatbread - they tried to explain it to me, the different type of flour that they use, the different way it is cooked on a hot plate. I looked at it and my immediate thought was stottie cake! It's not as fluffy inside as a stottie, so rather thinner - perhaps a mix of stottie and pitta bread. It is totally yummy though - particularly warmed with farm butter and tuna rillettes. So when you are next in Baugé, try them out, because these people need to be encouraged!
Have a good week!
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