28/01/2021 Just another walk a couple of days back (13 .1 kms).....

Maximum temperature here today 13⁰C, minimum 10⁰C.  11 mm rain measured this morning and it has not stopped raining since then!  23km/h South-Westerly winds with gusts up to 67 km/h.   90% chance of rain forecast for the next 7 days!!!! Not sure when I will be walking again!!

The small stream that generally 'trickles' through our local village. Glad we do not live closeby!

Narrow streets.

Looking across the fields.

Wet tracks.

A drier patch of road with Rapeseed (Brassica napus) planted on the left.

Cattle paddling in the mud, not good for their feet.

Cattle being fed in a barn.

One lone Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus).

Old man's beard · (Clematis vitalba).

I think this is Oakmoss (Evernia prunastri).

Possibly, Common tamarisk moss (Thuidium tamariscinum).

Teasels (Dipsacus).

I suspect this logging is being done by a paper mill.

At the 8km point, I met up with this over the road, the track I need to get to is on the other side...

I sneaked sort of around the banks on the righthand side, this was looking down the stream.  The last 5kms I walked in wet, muddy squelchy shoes.  Isn't mud supposed to be good for the skin 😊

Take care everybody, keep well and stay safe.

My local list of wildflowers. (90 Species 23/08/2020).

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World.

10/12/2020 All photos taken while out walking fairly close to home.

   Maximum temperature here today 11⁰C, minimum 5⁰C.  10 mm of rain measured this morning but we have had quite a lot over the last few days!  22km/h North-easterly winds with gusts up to 49 km/h. 

I apologise for the 'break-in transmission', but our WiFi has been ridiculous and I have not been able to load any photos easily, and sometimes not at all. Also visiting has been a problem as there has not been enough speed to download your blogs for me to see them.  It is frustrating, and very time consuming trying to do anything on the computer. 

 I have been doing quite a lot of walking now as not so much to do in the kitchen, all fruit and vegetables have considerably slowed down!  Now I am allowed more time, and a bigger radius to walk in, although still in lockdown, I am most days walking between 8 and 11 kms.

I just liked this shot of the moon behind the clouds and over the top of a barn roof,

If you follow the road in the centre to the top, our house is a little further on, on the right-hand side behind the trees.

The church in our local commune of Vitrac Saint Vincent...

The church Saint-Maixent (eleventh and 12th centuries). The first stone was laid in the year 1080 under the tutelage of the powerful lord of Chabanais...

and taking a peek inside.

Cowslips - what are they doing in flower at this time of the year???

As above.

Hawaiian geese or Nene (Branta sandvicensis) seen in a field where they were chasing some ducks.

Possibly Campanula_trachelium .

This hardly needs an ID but somebodies goat.

 Generally this is a small trickle of water over the road!!!

Old Mans Beard (Clematis vitalba).

Hop. skip and jump, yet another goat having fun ...

As above...

As above.

At the entrance to a farmyard.

Moss - it just appealed to me!

My local list of wildflowers. (90 Species 23/08/2020).

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World.

Photo competition running until 31 December - colourful photos.

B u n t

Let us all join in great fun.  Not much time left now.

01/03/2020 March has arrived with strong winds......

Maximum temperature in the Charente today 10C, minimum 7C. Rain on and off all day not measured as yet.  164mm so far this year.  36km/h South-westerly wind with gusts up to 101 km/h.  Not easy to stand up outside!!

Thank goodness I walked yesterday, I still managed to catch a light shower of rain, it was also fairly windy especially at the top of the hill.  Only 5.5 kms,  I had planned on going further but the wind put me off.  My eyes, despite wearing glasses when out still cry!

Just leaving the house I saw this old tractor heading towards me.

Looking across at the Resistance memorial.

Somebodies beehives just off the track where I walk.

Grapes still not pruned, think these are a bit late.

Cattle relaxing.

A brimstone butterfly in the woods. (Gonepteryx rhamn).

Lots of moss around.

Streams where normally there is just grass.

A track through the woods.

This is generally only a field - no water.

Lots of molehills in the foreground, they must be finding the soil a bit wet!

Peacock butterfly (Aglais io).

The 'perfume' was quite strong just here, a farmer from the next hamlet spreading compost from the cattle pens on the land ready for planting.

Heading back to the house this beetle was scurrying down the road. A leaf beetle maybe!

Pigeonnier in the garden of one of the houses in our hamlet.

Our neighbour's woodpile, they are not going to get cold!

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 Bird blog

02/02/2020 Spring has sprung.........

Maximum temperature in the Charente today 18C, minimum 10C. Rain measured this morning 3mm but we have a blue sky today. 111mm of rain so far this year.  23km/h South-Westerly wind up to 43 km/h.

I say spring has sprung, but I suspect it might be short-lived as the temperatures drop again in the middle of the week.  If the forecast is right though, they then go back up again......

Photos were taken today on a walk in the garden.

We have not been without roses at all this year so far - amazing.

Moss and Lichen.

Common Speedwell - A pretty weed.

The first crocus.

Buds on the Red Robin. (Photinia Fraseri).

The first snowdrop. (Galanthus nivalis).

Buds on the Viburnum (Viburnum tinus).

The return of the fly!!!! Also Viburnum tinus)

Gendarme beetles or firebug, (Pyrrhocoris apterus).

As above -African masks!

Fairies a the bottom of the garden... no, I cannot identify it!

In the house, buds on the orchid...

The Christmas poinsettia is still thriving..

and cheating with a fridge magnet

See also my

 Bird blog