20/07/2019 Around the garden and out for a drive.

Maximum temperature today 28C, minimum 16C.  4mm very welcome rain last night. 17km/h North-westerly winds with gusts up to 41 km/h.  

Peacock butterfly (Aglais io). Looking a little worn!

Meadow brown (Maniola jurtina).

Small White (Pieris rapae).

Hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum).

What I believe to be a honey bee taking a drink, loved the shadow.

Think this is one of the Social wasps taking a drink.

and I believe this to be a Potter wasp but I am not certain.

Climbing rose.

Out on the road - making hay while the sun shines.

The sunflowers seem extra good this year.  The bees seem happy.

The banks of the River Touvre which runs into the Charente River.

Looking across the weir.

Back home the hibiscus is in flower.

The mirabelle plums are looking good.

The moon on the night of 13 July.....

and the partial eclipse on the 16th

A collection from the garden yesterday.  Also 2kg of potatoes from 2 plants, still 48 plants to go and the longer I leave them the bigger they will get!

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente

12/03/2018 Photos taken on Saturday that I had not downloaded!!!

Maximum temperature today 12C, minimum 6C.   4 mm of rain measured this morning and it has been raining heavily again all day; 20 km/h Southerly winds with up to 60 km/h gusts.  

It was a good job that I walked around the garden yesterday, as we are back to needing webbed feet again!!!

We had to go into Chasseneuil  on Saturday, only to discover that some of the roads had been closed off and there were a crowd of people waving French flags - we never did find out what was going on!!!

We then had to go to Soyaux - driving over the river Touvre on the way - there were a lot of fishermen around.

Leroy Merlin, where we had to get the correct overflow pipe fitting for the new basin! it should have come with the rest of the order, but!!!

Inside the shop.

In the evening, we had a local dinner.  There have to be a certain number of events at the Salle des Fetes to keep the licence going.  At these  events, the local ladies do all the cooking and there is no official catering of any sort.  The food arrives in big dishes or bowls at the table and it is pretty much help yourself.

This menu cover photo, so we were told, was taken in the 40's when  mobile stills were brought around the villages to make alcohol from the peoples' plums, pears or whatever!  In the 1950's the Government made it illegal!!

The meal menu with a few more photos of the town.

and on the back.

Apéritifs at the bar...

while some people were finding a place to sit.

The mayor serving our soup. Nigel had a "place of honour" next to him (on his right and out of the photo)!!!

He is very thoughtful ; he knows I do not like the Bordeaux red wine which is generally served with  meals, so he went and got me a bottle of rosé. 😊

Pot au feu.

Salade and fromage.

I think we all enjoyed a good evening with interesting company and for only €15 a head, including wine, it wasn't too expensive!

08/08/2017 Same route almost as yesterday but back home through Ruelle-sur-Touvre instead of Angouleme.

Maximum temperature 22C, minimum 14C.   11 km/h NW wind with 40 km/h gusts.  15mm rain measured.  Intermittent rain/sun most of the day.

Another trip to Soyaux but not quite so early today, dark clouds threatening. 

Passing La Rochefoucauld....

and then the rain came down....

but soon cleared again as we crossed La Touvre once more but a better photo than yesterday!

Building at a standstill guess everyone is on their August holidays.

A well treed roundabout...

and the same one as I took yesterday but men at work here.

Ruelle-sur-Touvre.

Crossing La Touvre on our way home, a very different view.

We stopped at Brico on the way home, this Olive tree would of been perfect for what we wanted but not at that price!!!

The new garden area all glassed in...

nothing very cheap though...

We just wanted a pot for a place in the garden but not quite this colourful.  We eventually bought one that was a dark blue/purple as it was the only colour we could match with a base.

I bought some lavender seeds to plant in it.  Bit late in the year but fingers crossed.

Watch this space :-)

07/08/2017 A very busy day where nothing went according to plan!!

Maximum temperature 27C, minimum 13C.   7 km/h NE wind with 18 km/h gusts.  Rain not measured.  Storms suddenly in the forecast!!!

On the road at sparrow to go to Soyaux for an appointment.  Holiday season and the roads are light on traffic.

Crossing La Touvre river.

A pretty roundabout at Soyaux.

Some of the streets between Soyaux and Angouleme on the return trip... 

as above...

In Angouleme, I am not sure which church this is.

This train was presumably touring the city but there were very few tourists inside.

Heading back home from Angouleme...

As above, note the metal lobster on the wall!

Going under the railway bridge.

Nearly home men at work.