07/12/2018 This and that!

Maximum temperature today 12C, minimum 6C.  5mm rain measured this morning and it is still raining; 29km/h North-westerly winds gusting up to 69 km/h.   

Total so far this year of 964mm. Last years total rain for the year was 739 mm!

Autumn colours in the next hamlet to us...

and a little further down the road.

The shop windows in Intermarche supermarket...

as above.

Back home in the garden, a wet calendula...

and berries on the Cotoneaster.

'Our' Red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) is still around...

 

I first saw in on 8 November and it has been around ever since.  It waits under the cherry tree in the mornings for me to go out and feed the birds. What a pleasure.

I have updated my bird blog HERE.

03/12/2018 The daily diary has almost become the weekly diary, but there is not a lot to take daily photos of!!

Maximum temperature today 15C, minimum 11C.  36mm rain measured this morning and it is still raining; 27km/h North-westerly winds gusting up to 61 km/h.   

In the last two days, we have had 51 mm of rain, and a total so far this year of 935mm despite having had one of our driest ever summers.  Last years total rain for the year was 739 mm!

Christmas in France only arrives in December, not like so many places that seem to start decorating in October - Our local supermarket with animated bears.

I saw this in a shop window in our local town...

This was in the next door window, inverted coffee and tea plastic mugs, very clever I thought.

The Mairie (Mayor's office) in Chasseneuil.

Choisya ternata, taken through the window in the rain...

Hydrangea in the rain

This morning's drive to the Physio for my back in the rain and mist, trying to get a shot of autumn colours...

As above.  Sadly this is my last visit, she is returning to the UK at the end of this month and there is nobody else in France who does the same spinal work as she does 😒. 

Peekaboo, I see you... Red-legged Partridge (Electorus rufa)...

The Owl and the Pussycat Partridge. 

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Female.

Common Blackbird (Turdus merula).

European robin (Erithacus rubecula).

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Male.

I have updated my bird blog HERE.

27/11/2018 My apologies I just do not seem to be keeping up.

Maximum temperature today 10C, minimum 1C.  1mm rain measured this morning but it has been raining almost every day for the past week.; 12km/h North-easterly winds gusting up to 23 km/h.  

Sunset a week ago today.

Wednesday's drive, we were out to lunch with friends...

along the road...

a little tractor.

Back home the trees have dropped their leaves - the small Cherry and the larger Acer...

and the Ginkgo.

The flowers on the choisya ternata are surviving the weather.

A visitor to the garden, it has been around for a couple of weeks. Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa).

House sparrow (Passer domesticus).

Acrobatic Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus).

Great tit (Parus major).

The sunset last night; photos were taken about 10 minutes apart.  The top being the first one and the bottom the last.

I have updated my bird blog HERE.

18/11/2018 A lunch and a drive last Friday - I am a bit behind myself!

Maximum temperature today 5C, minimum 1C.  Dry; 22km/h North-easterly winds gusting up to 47 km/h.  Very cold and our first frost this season.

It is going to be colder tomorrow!!

  

I love these forest areas with the autumn colours...

but sadly some areas are spoilt by the wind turbines!

Driving through Vadelle.

Arriving at Marcillac-Lanville, this is one of the pilgrim routes and the cutouts are here to remind us.

Inside the restaurant, Les Nymphéas...

I was quite taken by the African screen.

Onion soup for starters.  They brought a bowl to the table to help ourselves and it was so good we both had two helpings.

I forgot to take a photo of the second course which was chopped ham, salad and feta.  This was the main course of fish and it was delicious.

We had three slices of different cheeses and French bread,  before finishing off with a coffee eclair (my choice from a selection) and espresso coffee.

All served with a decanter of wine for €14 each. Great value.

Driving home we saw this house covered in Virginia creeper.  Wonder how many insects live in there!

Back home today; probably the last of the flowers with the weather change - Calendula...

Cosmos...

As above...

As above...

Climbing rose.

A visit from the European robin (Erithacus rubecula) early this morning.

I have updated my bird blog HERE.