OK, last weekend I promised more wildlife videos, and maybe I will include a couple at the end, but this week has been quite a busy one, and for a number of reasons.
Last week I wrote this blog early, before dashing off to the photo competition exhibition, hoping I had at least one of my photos printed and therefore in the top 30. Well, my hopes were dashed, but to be fair to those that were printed, there were only 2 that I would have said weren't worth printing. One was out of focus, and perhaps I am old fashioned, but I don't think that is good photography. The other one looked to me more like an advert for Legal and General (other financial services companies are available but have different advertising and logos) than an entry in a provincial photography competition, and in my view would have been barred on that basis in a similar competition in the UK. It won the adult section.
Of the two printed ones I liked the best, one got a prize for the popular vote done over the two days of the exhibition, and is shown here the furthest left, modelled by a member of the Society running the competition, the next one along won the popular vote, probably as it had a bird in it, the other two were the winners in the Junior section. Well done all!
The next big excitement of the week was Storm Kirk. He didn't bring much wind, but he brought a shed-load of rain with him. It started raining before dawn on Wednesday and carried on with varying levels of intensity until just after 6pm. Overall we had 59mm of rain or 2 3/8 inches - however you count it, it was a lot! For the main rain gauge in our garden by the house, we had to empty it twice during the day, taking readings each time. At 10am when I went to feed the chickens it was like this!
Fortunately around us there is enough of a gradient to ensure that house, garden and cellars don't flood, and that was the case for most around here, although some low roads became impassable as water came off the fields, and the Couasnon broke its banks. But the main flooding was in low lying fields. Others were not so lucky in other parts of France and I feel for them. Occasionally however field banks were not up to the task and ceded with the weight of water, particularly if the field above had been harvested or ploughed recently so the soil was compacted. This slip was near our country retreat.
The ponds are now nicely full and since Kirk did his worst, the weather has improved and blue sky has been seen!
The other excitement during the week was round two of the Challenge Communale in boule de forte. My team had won our first round match, so on Thursday evening we were pitted against the team from one of the boule de forte clubs, the Esperance, and weren't totally hopeful. I was instantly depressed when I revealed my antique boules, which were denounced as disgusting. However it turned out that the Esperance team were unavailable to play the semi-final on Saturday, so forfeited the game when they were leading 8 - 2. Once that was sorted, they told me the product I needed to get to make my boules beautiful and shiny once again, so I sort of forgave them.
Saturday morning, 10am, I was back at the boule de fort club with my "disgusting" boules for the semi-final against another boule de forte society, la Paix. Despite hangovers and lack of sleep on both sides (not me, obviously), once we got going, the game was quickly lost by us 10 - 1, so I didn't have to worry about the final. To be fair, we would have forfeited if we had won as one of our team couldn't be there for the final. Anyway, by 11am, hair of the dog was being taken by those that needed it, and I was drinking a glass of chilled sauvignon blanc, knowing that I wouldn't have to play again for another year!
The only ones of these boules that are ours are the red ones!
As I mentioned, it rained all day on Wednesday, so one thing I could do to pass the time was to load up a few more wildlife videos on YouTube so I can share them here (you can also find my YouTube channel and subscribe or follow to see more of what is there). I found another amusing woodpecker video - I am very fond of the Woodies!
There is a fair amount of mouse or rat activity down by the ponds - that's fair, as it's a wild place and they are wild animals. I have no issues with them living as nature intended.
In the same way, I am fascinated to watch "our" fox as he goes about his business. He is in the wild, away from domestic gardens and chicken runs, fending for himself, and not relying on dustbins either. I've no idea what he is eating!
I have looked to see if there are nests or fungus or fruit around there, but I can't spot anything. If he is eating slugs or snails, good luck to him, but I would be a bit less happy if it was frogs and toads. Whatever, it is nature doing its thing.
Next week you can see coypu, plus I'm going to bring in another camera which has been at a point where I used to see hares and deer, so hope to have news of them. I fear there will be a lot of John and I strimming however!
Have a good week!
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