The maximum temperature here today is 21⁰C, minimum 15⁰C. South-West winds of 25 km/h with gusts up to 45 km/h. 10mm of rain was measured this morning and more is forecast for the next few days.
The garden and the kitchen have been very time-consuming and blogging has just not happened......
22/08/2023 Sunset
23/08/2023 Bees enjoying our lone sunflower
24/08/23 Well and truly bombed Butterfly (Common Blue), Bumble Bee and a Furrow Bee.
26/08/2023 European Paper Wasp (Polistes dominula)...
As above
27/08/2023 our anniversary lunch at Moulin de la Tardoire. Great food and beautiful scenery – Michelin star.
29/08/2023 Garlic chives.
31/08/2023 Red admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta).
02/09/2023 Praying Mantis (Ameles Decolor).
03/09/2023 Butterfly Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria).
04/09/2023 Cyclamen.
04/09/2023 Shield bug Nymphs (Nezara viridula). The same bug family at different stages.
04/09/2023 Pampas Grass
04/09/2023 Nearly over, yes, that lone sunflower.
06/09/2023 A trip to Angouleme crossing La Touvre river.
06/09/2023 stopping at La Rochefoucauld on the way home looking up at the chateau.
07/09/2023 Autumn Daffodil/Crocus (Sternbergia) bombed by a Jumping Spider (Salticidae)...
Just check out those amazing eyes - a close-up of above. I only spotted the spider when I downloaded the photo.
08/09/2023 Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera).
09/09/2023 winter fuel arriving.
10/09/2023 Sunset through the trees.
I hope I can catch up with a few more photos very soon!! Also I hope to do some visiting, I am way behind.
Good to see you again, Diane. Some great captures here!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marie, the time has flown so fast for me that I have hardly realised that I have not blogged. Luckily, although I have taken at least one photo each day, I have not really had time for photography either so not so much to catch up with. I hope all is well, take care Diane
DeleteGood to see you back Diane. Those are great insect close-ups, especially the paper wasp. How can anyone kill wasps? They are rather lovely if we treat them with respect. Our sunflowers finished weeks ago and there's nothing much in the garden now except for leaves and fallen apples. I'm leaving the apples for if we have ice and snow and the chance of Redwings and Fieldfares. Enjoy your weekend moving that wood indoors!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Phil and it good to be sort of back, but still quite a lot to do in the garden. Rain is forecast for the next few days so that gives me a chance to do some catching up, but I still have quinces to deal with. The wind has brough a lot of them down!! Our apples are all on the ground and I leave then all around the roots. They will either rot in as compost, or if I am lucky maybe some of the birds will eat them.
DeleteI hope that all is well in your neck of the woods. Take care, Diane
Two months of catching up seems like a daunting task, Diane. Better place time on hold for a while so that two months doesn’t become two and a half! Perhaps that’s why even you have to endure winter. It’s a time to stay in and get caught up on things that are overdue. Your pictures of insects are always exquisite and I look forward to seeing them with each post. So get busy, start editing, and post a whole lot more! Gros bisous de ton ami canadien. David
ReplyDeleteBonjour mon ami. Catching up is not that daunting, as although I have managed at least one photo a day, very few photos have in fact been taken. Staying in and catching up in winter will not happen as we will be in the South for 9 weeks and probably many 100's of photos taken. I will then not have the time to go through them all before the garden starts up again 🤔 I will try to blog a bit while we are away but Wi-Fi might well be a big problem.
DeleteOf course insects will be at a minimum here now it is getting colder, so finding subjects over the next couple of months is not so easy. Hopefully I will have more time to catch up with your blogs though.
Bisous de France, Diane
Good to see you update the blog, Diane. Those macro shots of animals are awesome and that first sunset is breathtakingly beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks Angie, I have got so far behind but the house , kitchen and garden have to come first. As the weather changes and we get more rain I might have more time at the computer!!! Take care, Diane
DeleteHi Diane. It's great to see you back in Bloggerland again. I have missed seeing your wonderful photos of the insects and other delights from your fabulous garden. The close-up of the spider is superb! Those shieldbugs are very attractive - I don't think we get that species in UK.
ReplyDeleteYour anniversary lunch looks extremely appetising. I am pretty sure that I have never eaten in a Michelin starred restaurant, but I'm willing to try if anyone should ever invite me!
I love your sunset images.
Best wishes to you and Nigel - stay safe - - - Richard
Hello Richard and thanks so much for the kind comment. I just love those little jumping spiders but I wish I had realised it was there when I took the photo as I may have been able to get a better photo.
DeleteMichelin star is only for special occasions. My birthday we went to one that had no Michelin star, it was in fact more expensive, and if it had not been for all the bread supplied we would have gone home hungry!! The food was good, but just not enough!! I suspect we will not visit it again, it used to be very good!
All the very best to both of you, I hope it is not too wet where you are. Cheers Diane
I feel like I've died and gone to heaven when I see your photos :) My favorite is the little guy who photo-bombed your crocus shot, but I also love discovering those colorful shield bug nymphs, and that sunflower says it all. It's been a joy visiting your blog post.
ReplyDeleteHi Yvonne, thanks you so much for the very kind comment. I also love the little jumping spider, they are so cute and those eyes!! I hope all is well, take care, Cheers Diane
DeleteHi Diane – love the three in a row … so pleased you had a delicious looking lunch with that scenery … garlic chives to follow! The shield bugs are very pretty …
ReplyDeleteBeautiful skies … good to know the logs have arrived … while that jumping spider has amazing sense of timing!
Good to see you and to be here for your post … thanks - cheers Hilary
Hi there Hilary, good to hear from you and I am sorry that I am so far behind, but I might eventually catch up especially if it keeps raining!! I just adore those little jumping spiders and I am not a spider person by any means, those eyes though are amazing.
DeleteKeep well and stay safe, cheers Diane
Bonjour ma chère Diane.
ReplyDeleteJ'imagine toute la cuisine que tu as du faire ! As-tu fait beaucoup de bocaux ?
En ce moment je suis sur la confiture d'arbouse. Mes arbres sont plein de fruits et ils tombent avec le vent et la pluie.
T'es photos sont remarquables
Oh qu'elle est mignonne ta petite sauteuse sous le pétale 🤗, j'adore !
Gros bisous et prenez soin de vous 💋
Bonjour Nathalie,
DeleteNous avons des mirabelles, des pommes granny smith, des figues, des coings et des nèfles mais pas d'arbousiers !! Je travaille toujours sur les coings !! Je n'ai pas fait de confiture cette année, nous en avons encore beaucoup. J'ai cependant fait du chutney. J'ai beaucoup déshydraté, j'ai un gros déshydrateur. Les coings que nous aimons pochés sont donc au congélateur cette année. Plus de 50 kg de pommes de terre. 8 grosses citrouilles, 9 butternuts. Tomates, Haricot. Courgettes, blettes, panais chou frisé……..
J'ai aussi adoré ma petite raignée sauteuse sous le pétale 😊
J'espère que tout va bien. Gros bisous mon ami. Diane
Your photos are worth waiting for Diane. Absolutely stupendous!
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise for the very kind comment it is appreciated. Keep well Diane
Delete