We thought it had died, it took so long to appear. Mind you, my Facebook memories hadn't featured it, so I probably shouldn't have doubted it. The cristophine vine has shown its first shoots during the last week. It is quite dry here at the moment, so we aren't seeing the rapid and lush growth we associate with this thug ... yet. All we need is a good rain shower and it will be off. Fortunately we have never bothered to dismantle its frame, so it has space to grow. We are trying the companion planting experiment again, and there are 5 tomato plants around it. Here we go again!
There has been little to photograph and little energy for taking photos this week - we were tired after the vide grenier and then the weather got seriously hot very quickly, and of course we have been tending to the needs of the poorly cat. Spooky is now back up to fighting weight and regularly downing a small tin of gourmet food as well as most of a cheaper brand of sachet cat food. Goodness knows whether he is blagging food off the neighbours as well - I sort of doubt it.
The best photo of the week otherwise, is of the bright orange memorial rose (Orange King, in case you were wondering) that we bought to mark the demise of the resident ginger cat some four years ago.
However earlier in the month, I brought in one of the trail cameras for a check over. Probably a good thing, as the batteries had failed, and it was also clear that there is an issue with the on/off switch - it is annoying that it is this, the cheapest relay in the whole unit, that is most likely to fail! I hope I have found a work around, but won't know until I bring the camera back in soon.
This camera had been in place for a few months, and initially had been beaten up a couple of times, until we tied it in to a post very securely. It was positioned to catch goings on near the badger set, and the route the badgers take to do their marauding elsewhere. There is a small breach in the wire fence nearby and a small path through the grass that can be seen on Google Earth! For at least the first few weeks, the plan worked well, as they didn't venture far from the set to look for tasty morsels and do their business. Later they are just glimpses of a shape dashing one way or another, heading off to or coming back from, much more promising areas.
First, there is one badger nosing around for something interesting.
Then there are two badgers pottering around together.
There is one with a badger spotting the camera and running away.
Then there is the up close and personal.
Then the closer still.
And then a real good investigation before knocking the camera over!
The two trail cameras I've had that have had broken switches are those that have been attacked by animals, a badger in this case, and a boar in the other. They are supposed to be robust, so I'm hoping it is just a coincidence.
Finally, because no sequence of videos is complete without the wild pigs, here is a family using the badger gap in the fence.
There are some nice stills in that batch of files, which I will dig out another day, when I am at a loss as to what to write about. I have had the second trail camera in this week for a similar check up - I have to say that the contents were rather disappointing, with rather too much rat and mouse action, pine martens moving too quickly to be anything other than fuzzy and no ducks. I'll see what is worth sharing though.
Have a good week!