01/11/2018 Another new month!

Maximum temperature today 17C, minimum 9C.  Dry; 20km/h North-easterly chilly winds with up to 44 km/h gusts. 

I am really not keeping up with blogging at present, I seem to be busy, and I am also not sleeping well which make me very ratty and miserable!!!  

We had the chimney cleaned this past week...

Always such a happy man.  Sadly he is now retired, but he has said he will help us out while the body is still willing ...

It is at the highest part of our house.

Great tits are returning to the garden for winter, they know there is usually food waiting for them...

as above. (Parus major).

Mrs House sparrow cooling down. (Passer domesticus).

The garden supply is dwindling but still more than enough for the two of us....

As above.

Out to lunch last Thursday - what a cheese board 😊

My bird blog

has been updated HERE

07/09/2017 Getting more and more behind!! The chimney sweep has been!!

Maximum temperature 22C, minimum 13C. 14 km/h NW wind with 35 km/h gusts. 1 mm of rain measured yesterday morning.

The technician is supposed to be coming tomorrow to see if he can improve our internet!! Fingers crossed.

Checking to see what size brush is needed...

Going upwards...

Sweeping in progress...

and a cheery wave :-)

Two bees on the garlic cloves..

as above.

Rose that almost looks like a double.

Common blue butterfly - male. (Polyommatus icarus)

As above.

If you are interested Part 3 of our holiday in South Africa is up and running on my other blog.

26/11/2016 Same old flowers and same old birds but the sun is shining!!!

Maximum temperature 16C, minimum 3C.  35 km/h SE wind.  1 mm rain measured this morning. 

Memories of Africa.

Blue Tit...

as above.

Calendula.

Pampas.

Great Tit...

as above.

as above.

The fire is burning brightly in the lounge :)

11/10/2016 The Chimney sweep, (also our tiler and friend), arrived to sort out our chimney. A drive to Angouleme for an MRI but I will not have any answers till I see the surgeon on the 24th.

Maximum temperature 17C, minimum 3C.  27km/h NE wind. Dry.

I find the above temperatures hard to believe when you can see our car is only reading 10C at 11h40!!!

The chimney sweep putting on his gloves...

always with a happy face...

Going uuuuuuup......

Brushing the chimney...

and spotlessly cleaning up afterwards.

Driving past La Rochefoucauld....

and on to Angouleme...

The roundabout and also a fountain near the station...

Angouleme Station... see Lucien on the left........

The giant statue of Lucien. Created by Frank Margerin, a French cartoonist, his most famous character, Lucien, was created in 1979. Lucien is a rocker from Malakoff with a huge pompadour that forms a cone in front of his face.

A monument at the station commemorates the forced deportations of local people by the Nazis in 1944, on trains from this station to  concentration camps in Germany.

Heading back towards home yet another lovely road sign - artificial lakes created 25 years ago for water supply and recreation.

We also had lunch near the station, but those hunger-making photos can wait for tomorrow,  as we have nothing else planned for what looks like a chilly day.

13/11/2015 Chimney cleaning and a trip to Angouleme.

Maximum temperature 18C, minimum 7C.  22 km/h SW wind. Dry.

A misty start to the morning in Angouleme.

Angouleme wall paintings...

All photos taken from a moving car.

As above...

As above.

Angouleme Station, they appear to be making more parking area and...

narrowing the road!

Today's fuel prices.

 Back home a Peacock Butterfly.

Chimney sweeping time of the year again...

Cleaning...

and putting the top back on.