11/05/2019 The green green trees of France......

Maximum temperature today 17C, minimum 10C.  Odd showers on and off; rain measured this morning 1mm.  21km/h North-westerly winds with gusts up to 45 km/h. 

Drive by photos so a little blurred but I just loved all the trees that are so green now. 

Roses to the right driving through Saint-Mary.

Driveway to a friend...

Lots of green,,.

Large chestnut tree at the house...

full of flower...

so pretty...

and a little closer.  It is a very complex flower.

Returning back home...

House centipede. (Scutigera coleoptrata) They are welcome in our home as they eat spiders and other unwelcome bugs

Tulips that I bought 30 April I cannot believe how well they have lasted.

In the garden, I spotted this Scarce Swallowtail butterfly (Iphiclides podalirius)...

As above...

 As above...

And yes as above, finally.

I will be away next week for 10 days and out of WiFi contact. I hope to return with some good photos, but who knows. We are returning to a spot we know, but I found last year that I did well with insects but not with birds!!

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente

09/05/2019 A drive into Angoulême on Tuesday.

Maximum temperature today 16C, minimum 10C.  Odd showers on and off; rain measured this morning 14mm.  38km/h North-westerly winds with gusts up to 87 km/h. 

N141 - Just love the number of trees around and all now so green.

At the bottom off the off-ramp still lots of trees.

A ghost sign in the older part of Angouleme that I cannot decipher....

and another ghost sign where there was originally a Pépinière (Plant nursery).

Lions International sign.

In St Cybard, Angoulême central is at the top of the hill behind this building.

Église Saint-Cybard, a Catholic church.

We went to our favourite restaurant of Chez Doud for lunch, only to discover it had been sold, and is now  O'Resto' d'Sam. Bit of a shock.  The food was OK but it had lost the ambience created by the previous owner!  😒 Not sure I want to return!!

Painted on a Tabac window, a little elf stealing some food while the guest is happily reading a book.

Angoulême covered market

At the back of the market.

Looking down the hill at the Railway station...

Over the roof tops...

as above...

and a closer look at the mural.

Leaving Angoulême this is next to the city wall, I have yet to discover what it actually is! Too elaborate for a lookout tower!

A drive-by shot across the fields of La Rochefoucauld Chateau.  More green trees.

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente

06/05/2019 In the garden with lots of insects and round and about.

Maximum temperature today 15C, minimum 2C. Rain intermittent over the last few days and it looks much the same for the rest of this week. 11 km/h North-westerly winds with gusts up to 30 km/h. Frost yesterday, the bird baths were all iced up!! 

Rainfall so far this year 198mm - last year at this date it was 475mm.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus).

Californian Poppies.

Possibly a Pine processionary moth caterpillar (Thaumetopoea pityocampa), BUT we have no pine trees nearby and this was the only one. Suggestions welcome.

Great camouflage, I am not a spider fan but the 3 in the garden interested me. My book is very limited so any ID on any of the three would be welcome...

Presumably, a female carrying her egg sac, I was getting in her way digging the garden!...

Yet another one getting out of my way with an egg sac. Also great camouflage. Think she has her head turned looking at me!

The blister beetle is still around on the dog rose - (Mylabris variablis.)

A very little hopper on a Californian poppy.

Bumblebee on the dog rose.

Looking over the rooftops of the local village.

Iris.

Azalea.

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente

02/05/2019 Bugs and flowers in the garden.

Maximum temperature today 16C, minimum 7C. 5mm of rain measured this morning. 13 km/h North-westerly winds with gusts up to 28 km/h. We look though as if we are in for a cold weekend before it warms up again next Tuesday.

We had friends to lunch yesterday and it was a really nice day.  We had drinks and starter course sat outside in the sun.  I intended to take some photos but was too busy and forgot!!

 

Mylabris variablis on the Red Robin flowers.

As above only a little closer....

And another one on the dog rose.

Chafer beetle also on the Red Robin shrub.

A bumble bee on the sage.

Lace Border moth  Scopula ornata.

another member of the Chafer family Oxythyrea funesta.

The Red Robin was busy today - A robber fly.

and what I believe to be a member of the soldier-fly family.

Azalea.

Iris.

Climbing rose.

See also my Bird blog 

and My life In the Charente