Thursday, August 5, 2021

05/08/2021 Trying to catch up with the July diary!!

My apologies for the lack of posts, and also the lack of visits to your blogs.  We seem to have been extra busy.  We have been catching up with entertaining, people to who we have owed a meal for 15 months.  Now we are all doubled vaccinated and we can have couples visiting, we are enjoying getting to chat with people other than to each other!  Also, the Mirabelle plums have ripened in the past week and we have destoned over 1000 plums for dehydrating - still a few more on the tree so we have not finished yet!

I think this is the nymph of the Mottled Shield Bug, (Rhaphigaster nebulosa), but I am open to discussion.

Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae).

Common or European Toad (Bufo bufo) in the vegetable garden and well camouflaged.

Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth (Hemaris fuciformis)...

As above.

Scarce swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius)...

As above...

As above...

As above...

As above...

As above...

Agapanthus with a bee, I am not sure which one it is!

Sunflower.

An unusual colour double poppy from one of the packets of mixed seed.

Lesser stag beetle (Dorcus paralellapipidus). Quite a cheeky little fellow, very aggressive and ready to attack!

Stargazer lily (Lilium 'Stargazer')

A stroll around the garden.
Tomato flower, grapes, quince,
Pattypan, Granny Smith, young Boer Pumpkin,
Sweet Potato flower, Courgette, Haricot Beans,
Medlar, figs, butternut flower.

Yet another smiling Sunflower.

Take care everybody, keep well and stay safe.
My local list of wildflowers. (91 Species 20/06/2021).

See also my


Joining up with My Corner of the World. 

 

31 comments:

  1. What beautiful photos. Enjoyed all of them.

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    1. Thanks Yvonne for the kind comment and the visit. Hope all is well with you, Diane

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  2. You have an amazing garden full of delicious food and interesting insects. A 1000 plums, wow! Good to hear that you can entertain again.

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    1. It is great that we can have a few people around and we can go to restaurants that have outside facilities. The garden is a bit up and down this year. Some plants have thrived on the huge amount of rain, but others have gone down with things such as blight. Keep safe over there, t'other Diane

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    1. Thank you for the visit and the comment, much appreciated. I hope all is well over there and that you are keeping safe. Diane

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  4. As always, Diane, your insect shots are superb. I always look forward to them. But the best news this time is that life has returned to somewhere approaching normal for you. Eating with friends is about as good as it gets. Keep on doing that and if blogging has to take a back seat for a while, don't give it a second thought. Feel free to eat my portion(s) of the cheese and quaff my wine! Amuse-toi bien, chérie! À la prochaine.

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    1. Merci David, nous essayons de profiter du retour à la normale. J'espère que ça va durer. We have a serious shortage of insects this year, maybe too wet and too cold, summer has never really arrived. As I type this, maximum temp today is only 19C and more rain forecast. Having said that as from Tuesday next week it looks like summer night be moving in so we hope that things return to normal in every way.

      Stay safe and have a great weekend. Diane

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  5. Welcome back, Diane. It’s great you have been able to expand your circle of people since you are doubly vaccinated. It’s been a long pandemic! Sadly it isn’t over. We must enjoy this reprieve.

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    1. Hi Marie, thanks so much for the comment, I am always worried when I do not have the time to blog or comment that people will give up on me, it is so nice to see that is not the case. There is just so much going on at present that the computer is taking second place. I am taking photos but not getting around to doing anything with them!!!
      Keep well and enjoy your cycling. Diane

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  6. Hi Diane - wonderful veggies and fruits (to be) ... while the insect population is enjoying its life, as too Mr warty Toad - amazing photographs you've given us. Well done on working out the hydrator ... the plums will be so good later on - cheers Hilary

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    1. Hi Hilary, the garden is quite hit and miss this year, some things have really enjoyed the extra rain while others have not. The insects this year are also much lower in numbers than usual, I really have to search quite hard for 6 and 8 legged beasts. We have a reasonable crop of plums but not the bumper crop we had last year. The biggest tree at the South end of the line of five is usually the best, but this year it has very few, I am guessing though it has protected all the others which have fairly good crops.
      Hope all is well with you and that life is returning to normal what ever that may be! Cheers Diane

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  7. Fabulous photography and presentation, Diane. You really are getting the most out of your camera set-up! I am getting increasingly jealous of the wildlife you get in your garden - not to mention the bountiful produce too!

    I too have been suffering from an overload of jobs to be done getting in the way of trips out for photography, but I think that I'nm starting to get there now - until the next thing comes to bite me on the backside!

    Stay safe - - - Richard

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    1. Hi Richard, there always seems to be something going on and the garden is very time consuming. The wildlife in the garden is very low this year, I imagine the rubbish weather has something to do with it. I really have to look hard for insects which is unusual. Plenty of birds around, though to take good photos of them I need time to sit quietly which is not happening. The Little owls are heard daily but we seldom see them, so much leaf on all the trees! If I think they are on one of the barns they are usually just out of sight. I need an owl box!! Now if only one of us was a reasonable carpenter!!!!

      Keep safe and best wishes to you both, Diane

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    1. Thanks for the second visit and the kind comment. Diane

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  9. Absolutely beautiful Diane !Love the butterflies ! amazing!!
    take care

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    1. Thanks Gloria, the swallowtails are really beautiful. Hope all is well, take care Diane

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  10. Oh how I enjoy seeing your captures Diane, the series of shots of the swallowtail butterfly is superb. Your garden looks so colourful at the moment, mine a little less so here in winter. I'm just about to begin a huge transformation of my back garden, I feel the need for flower space to replace lawn, and roses, lots of roses 🌹 Hope you are both well, sounds like you are super busy. My cough gone for a while, how about yours? Take care 💜

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    1. Hi Grace, my cough is also not too bad, though I have an occasional fit of coughing. Good to hear yours is better. Our trees are getting so big in our garden that I am having problems getting everything to grow in so much shade. I do love the trees though so I have no desire to cut them back! You take care also, Diane

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  11. You do so well at knowing all your bugs and critters names. Awesome job with that and the pics.

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    1. Thanks Pam, not always easy to name the creatures in the garden but I try! Hope you are doing well and aches and pains are minimal. Diane

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  12. Beautiful captures of the critters. I love the edibles in your garden. Have a great new week.

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    1. Thanks Nancy, so nice to have home grown vegetables, they just taste so much better. Keep safe Diane

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  13. Fabulous photos Diane. Enjoy your friends. We will be here when you have the time :)

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    1. Thanks Denise. Come winter I will be able to catch up again perhaps!! Keep well Diane

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  14. So much color and life abounds in your garden. Glad you are able to visit with friends finally.

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    1. It is great that we can have friends at the house and that we can eat out, just hope that it lasts!!!
      Hugs from us both, Diane

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  15. That has to be the newest looking bldg I have seen in your area. Nice day out. What is the age of the city you live in?

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    1. I am a bit confused, I presume you mean the blog after this one that has a conservatory attached to the old building. The town is very old. The castles humble beginning dates back to year 980, from a wooden camp that was built by Foucauld on a rocky spur. The word 'rock', in fact, translates to 'Roche' in French. A square keep was then constructed by his son at the same site in 11th century. Eventually it became La Rochefoucauld Chateau which you see in my photo. Our house is very young, only 200+ years old. Keep well Diane

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  16. Really some beautiful nature photos here. Such detail and colour.

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