30/09/2021 A few bugs and reptiles from the garden....

 The maximum temperature here today is 19⁰C, minimum 8⁰C. Rain is due from tomorrow forecast for a whole week!. Wind 9km/h icy South-Easterly winds with gusts up to 16 km/h!

 

I have so many photos for September and I have had no time to go through them all.  Here are just a few so that you know I am still in existence!!

Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis Muralis).

Gatekeeper butterfly (Pyronia tithonus)...

As above.

Great Banded Furrow Bee (Halictus scabiosae) I think

Wasp (Scolia hirta).

Common Heath, a moth of the family Geometridae.(Ematurga atomaria).

Small White (Pieris rapae) better known as a Cabbage White...

As above.

A pretty battered but happy Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia)...

As above...

As above...

As above.

European Peacock Butterly (Aglais io)...

As above.

Common blue butterfly - male (Polyommatus icarus)...

As above.

Common blue butterfly - female (Polyommatus icarus)...

As above...

As above.

Western honey bee or European honey bee (Apis mellifera).

Not sure which bee this is, the flower is Sedum but which variety I do not know!

Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis Muralis).

Carpenter bees, (Xylocopa violacea) or (Xylocopa valga), very similar...

As above.

Map butterfly (Araschnia levana)...

As above.

Take care everybody, keep well and stay safe.

My local list of wildflowers. (91 Species 20/06/2021).

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World. 

16/09/2021 More photos from August and still I have not caught up!

 The maximum temperature here today is 24⁰C, minimum 15⁰C. Raining as I type this. Wind 10km/h icy North-Easterly winds with gusts up to 26 km/h!

Moth Burnet Companion (Euclidia glyphica)...

As above.

Cyclamen

A rose with a fabulous perfume.

Sunflower.

Garvinea Cheeky Pink

Melodious warbler (Hippolais polyglotta).

Nasturtium.

Tomatoes.

Tiny sunflower with a busy bumblebee.

Comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album).

Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria).

Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus).

Wasp (Scolia hirta) on the sweet potato flowers.

Western Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera)...

As above drinking...

As above all at the water bowl.

Garlic chives in flower (Allium tuberosum).

This bee is very dark but possibly Western Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera)...

As above.

European Peacock Butterfly (Aglais io).

Take care everybody, keep well and stay safe.

My local list of wildflowers. (91 Species 20/06/2021).

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World. 

28/08/2021 Celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary.

The maximum temperature here today is 23⁰C, minimum 12⁰C. Dry. Wind 21km/h icy North-Easterly winds with gusts up to 50 km/h!

We decided to celebrate on Saturday with an evening meal! Due to the French COVID restrictions over the last 16 or so months, I cannot remember the last time we went out for anything other than outdoor lunches (and those only when the restaurants recently reopened, that is!). We returned to L'intemporel in La Rochefoucauld, as we so enjoyed the last visit there (see the previous post),   We picked the 5 course tasting menu, so it was all rather exotic cuisine and very different from our normal meals out.

Sitting relaxed at the table looking at the fabulous view of La Rochefoucauld chateau....

and the Tardoire river, which flows under the 15th-century stone bridge (see the last post).

This is the menu that we chose.

The amuse-bouches, a delightful choice....

followed by yet another amuse-bouche of ham on creamed pea, with a piece of pea stem and grated black truffle for decoration.

First course - Seared foie gras, Thai juice, shitakes and Nori seaweed.

Second course - Tuna with tartare of strawberry and fennel, very unusual, and wow it hit the taste buds.

Third and main course - local French beef, creamed carrots, sliced vegetables with peppered meat gravy.  Cooked to perfection (very rare or "bleu" in French) and it melted in the mouth!

 

Spoiling ourselves after 40 years with a bottle of champagne. Because of driving home afterwards, they were kind enough to give us a cork to enjoy the rest back home!

Cheers!!

Fourth course - Sorry, I slipped up here with the cheese course and had a couple of mouthfuls before I remembered the camera! This of course was served with French bread, which we had on the table for every course - we wiped our plates clean!

Last, but not least, was dessert, described as douceur de cerise au chocolat and a special slice of orange cake in a separate dish with a candle because it was our anniversary. They discovered this because we asked for the photo. Such a lovely thought and obviously a last-minute idea of theirs!

Finally, as the evening light faded and the lights came on - here we are in the reflection!

Apologies for the slow blogs at present, but time just seems to disappear with gardening and the kitchen.  As autumn approaches, I hope to have more time to go through the many photos which I have taken over the last couple of months.

Take care everybody, keep well and stay safe.

My local list of wildflowers. (91 Species 20/06/2021).

See also my

 Bird blog

Joining up with My Corner of the World.