Thursday, September 1, 2022

01/09/2022 Another month has gone by.....

 The maximum temperature here today is 28⁰C, minimum 17⁰C.   Blue skies with few clouds   North-Easterly winds of 12km/h with gusts up to 25 km/h.  Rain is forecast over the next 3 days, but I will be more than surprised if it happens.  We have had almost nothing in the past 3months.  Water rationing is here.

This is just another rushed post to let you know that I am still alive.  Life has been very hectic.  Nigel’s Father who had reached the great age of 101 passed on the Monday before last.  Nigel flew back to the UK urgently but has since returned, we will now both drive over for the funeral.

P.S. I spoke to the guys who had a tent up in the local car park re internet and getting fibre.  I was told that our area is not on the books for this year – maybe next year!!!  Meanwhile, we struggle on at speeds of between 0.4 and 0.5 mbps.😭

Sunset - just loved the crepuscular rays.

Clouded yellow, (Colias croceus).

Shield Bug (Graphosoma Italicum).

06082022 the moon over the rooftops.
Yes, there is a tile missing - our neighbour's roof not ours!

A young European starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Mum and a sparrow in the background.

A walk around the garden. (Bucket watering).

Common Carder bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum).

As above.

Shield bug but I am not sure which one.

A first for our garden - Short-toed treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla).
These photos were taken through the window in the house. The tree is a good 22 metres away. I just spotted a slight movement and could not believe my eyes. The camouflage when it moved to the front of the tree was amazing.

Possibly an Ivy bee (Colletes hederae) but I am not convinced.

Bee (Anthidium_florentinum).

The vegetable garden - rescued with buckets of used water from the house.

Common blue female (Polyommatus icarus) on a Californian poppy.

Orange-legged Furrow Bee (Halictus rubicundus) on a cosmos.

The Little owl in silhouette.(Athene noctua).

Something I do not see very often these days! Sunrise.

and another Sunset.

Out for lunch on my birthday 19 August.

My local list of wildflowers. (91 Species 02/12/2021).

See also my

40 comments:

  1. A belated Happy Birthday, Diane - your 21st?

    As always, I really admire the technical and artistic aspects of your photography. It's delightful!

    So pleased to see a shot of one of your Little Owls.

    Just before coming you your blog post, I was commenting on another (UK based) blog on sightings of Clouded Yellow butterfly in UK. They are quite rare and only arrive as immigrants, being unable to survive our winter.

    I hope that your drive to UK goes without problems.

    Best wishes - stay safe - - - Richard

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    1. Thank you very much for the kind comment Richard. I have a video of the Little Owl coming down for water on my trail camera. Sadly I cannot share it, with our speeds it is impossible to load it onto anything!! Nevertheless, I am delighted that I can play it anytime I want to want to appreciate the little fellow.

      Thanks for the birthday wishes; I am glad when I look at the world today that I am not 21. I was born in WWII and thankfully I do not remember that. Life has been pretty good, but what is the world now coming to now? Humans are not improving anything so far as I can see.

      Thanks, the older we get the long drives do not become easier, but this could be our final trip to the UK!! We have nothing there now to encourage us to return.

      Very best wishes also to both of you. Take care, Diane

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  2. I hope you have rain soon. It looks like the planet is alternating between flooding and drought!

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    1. Thanks Marie, the forecast looks hopeful, but nothing is happening. I am typing this at 21h45 and the temperature is still at 26C. Keep well. Diane

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  3. Great photos as always. Belated best wishes too!

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    1. Thanks, and for the birthday wishes, much appreciated. Keep safe, Diane

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  4. Fabulous photos as usual. love the bumble bee photos, so sharp and close. Wish I could do that. Belated Happy Birthday. Looking Good. sad about FIL but he did well hope Nigel does so well too.

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    1. Thanks Diane for the birthday wishes. The bumblebee is all thanks to my Tamron Megazoom - 18-400 mm lens, no skill from me!
      Yes FIL did well at 101, it was sad though that Alzheimer's took over the last few years of his life.
      Keep well, Cheers t'other Diane

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  5. Hi Diane - lovely photos ... the moon one is always a delight to see above that beautiful roof, while all the insects, plants veggie - well done on keeping them in such good health. We've just had a little rain and so I hope you'll get some too. Nigel's father had a good long life and being home (England) will be a peaceful, happy time for you both ... then back to your French home. Happy Birthday - I spy Steak Tartare ... now my mouth is watering! The dinner looks delicious ... take care, travel safely, enjoy the family visit and then let's hope you've had some rain to nurture the garden. Cheers Hilary

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    1. Hi Hilary, Sorry, we had friends for lunch yesterday and I did not turn the computer on all day. They offered to call it off, but we decided that we needed a break from all the paperwork, etc. and to be able to talk about something other than what is going on in our lives at present. In fact, I am not sure that it really worked as I was so tired last night, I slept for 11 ½ hours. The usual sleeping pattern is 5 to 6 hours!
      Home for me is Rhodesia, sadly it has been wiped off of the earth! The funeral is 19 Sept so we drive over on 15th and return 23/24th. Hopefully, this will give Nigel time to sort out some of the things which he is finding difficult with phone calls from France. He is one of the executors. We will stay in a hotel the family house is really not big enough for two couples and Nigel's sister and BIL have been there now for the past 4 years.
      We are still waiting for rain. It is around but just keeps missing us.
      Take care, cheers Diane
      Yes you do spy steak tatare and it was delicious, thans for the birthday wishes

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  6. One hundred and one was a great age. Your father in law lived through some interesting times. What stories he must have had. Regarding Blue Tits. 99% of ringers really do not like catching Blue Tits unless the y are doing a specific study of the species or family. The Blue Tit is an angry creature that often gets itself entangled in mist nets and then nips and bites at fingers. To cap it all, it is very sedentary and unmigratory and therefore provides little in the way of data or information. Sorry to disappoint you Diane. Love the picture of the stripy shield bug. Shame about your slow internet connection but we are now on fibre which is faster but more expensive of course.

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    1. Hi Phil, sorry your comment did come through, but I did not turn the computer on all day yesterday, see my reply to Hilary above. Yes, I rescued a blue tit from something that it managed to get entangled in from the garden. It nipped the hell out of me while rescuing it LOL.
      The internet is such a pain, and it is yet another reason why I find doing posts difficult as they take so long to download. On the other hand, I find it difficult to see other people's blogs, some of which are quite big and I have to wait for up to 15 minutes or so before I can see them. I am naturally an impatient person so .......
      Take care and keep ringing, cheers Diane

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  7. I am very sorry to hear of Nigel’s father’s passing. He certainly lived to a great age but the loss of a loved one is hard at any age. My deepest and heartfelt condolences. I wish you a safe and good journey back to the U.K.

    Super photos, beautiful flowers with their little visitors, and everything you have managed to capture with your lens is an absolute delight.

    A belated Happy Birthday too!

    Take good care of yourselves and I hope you get the rain, just enough and not too much.

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    1. Thanks Denise for your condolences and birthday wishes, appreciated. I am sure FIL would have survived another couple of years, he was always so fit and healthy until Alzheimer's attacked all of his brain cells. It was so sad to see a man with so much dignity in life, end this way. He is now in a much better place.
      We are still desperately in need of rain. It is around but very localised and always misses us!
      Keep well, Diane

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  8. So many pretty colours in the first pic and great moon capture.

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    1. Thanks I do enjoy taking sky photos but it is not often that I get them just right!! Hope all is well Diane

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    1. Thanks Angie for the visit and the comment. so appreciated. Keep well Diane

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  10. Even in drought I am glad you can help the garden. All those beautiful flowers and insects indicates a certain amount of health. Your captures are superb.

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    1. Thanks Gaelyn, It is hard keeping the garden going, but now we are in Autumn there will be less to try and keep alive. Have a good week, Diane

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  11. Hi Diane - I think you must be travelling over ... take care and all the best celebrating a long life. Photos are wonderful ... and I think that was Steak Tartare you had for your birthday lunch ... looks delicious - one of my favourite dishes. All the best - Hilary

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  12. Great shots as usual...really love the moon over the rooftop!

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    1. Thanks Pam I was quite pleased with that photo. I hope all is well, cheers Diane

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  13. Beautiful sunset in the 1st pic and love the moon over the rooftop. Love the pink sunrise too. Great shots of the critters. Take care and stay safe. Hope rain will come soon.

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    1. Thanks Nancy, I love seeing the moon but I am not always very good at taking photos of it. Keep well, Diane

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  14. Hi Diane! Happy Belated Birthday! Pics are gorgeous as usual. Fantastic sunrises and sunsets! Great shot of the Short-toed treecreeper, new to me! And the moon is totally awesome! And then the cosmos! I had them for years in Louisville, KY, but can't grow them here in northern Illinois, I've never seen them here. One of my fave plants though and yours is beautiful!

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    1. Hi Pam, so good to hear from you. I love cosmos, in South Africa they grow buy the thousands down the sides of the roads, so beautiful. I hope all is well with you, Diane

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  15. HAPPY way way belated BD -- we share the exact date! (Though I'm sure the years are different.) Beautiful skies and birds and lovely garden. Your father-in-law indeed lived to a wonderfully great age. Still it is hard and I'm sure a lot to deal with. Best wishes, hope all is well.

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    1. Happy BD to you also a bit belated. Thanks for the good wishes. Diane

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  16. I'm sorry to hear the passing of Nigel's father. But goodness a long life. Reminds me of our grandmother, l04 1/5 and her next to oldest son l05. I would be remiss not to say to you "Happy Birthday"! I love the photo of you celebrating. As always too, LOVE your photos, Diane! As always spectacular! Take care and be well. xoxo

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  17. Time flies! A belated HB and thanks for the gorgeous photos.
    Amalia
    xo

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  18. Well goodness I thought I commented here! Happy belated Birthday sweet Diane. And I love all the photos. You're a master photographer! Hope all is well. xoxo

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  19. I miss you! Hope all is well. xoxo

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    1. Lots happened when we went to the UK for the funeral, I will hopefully soon catch up with a blog. Thanks for caring. Diane xx

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