8th May 2026...pole replacement at last, grasshopper 😭

Tempête Nils on Feb 12th took down several telephone poles, which also carry our fibre. Today the worst were replaced.

This poor grasshopper, has a fungus infection called 'zombie fungus'... it will die and spead more spores around.

7th May 2026.. weeding, garden photos, gall wasps on oak.

Weeding around the swimming pool...

Veg garden 

Many oak trees have gall wasps this year..it makes the leaves deform.

Gall wasps

5th May 2026...Buster Boo

The prunings of the kiwi fruit always gets Buster's attention!

Its a mild hallucinogen for cats...he was stoned all day!

'Helping' with my jigsaw puzzle!

3rd May 2026...sheep and roses

This sheep was determined to get the fresh leaves of the chestnut tree

Some flowers from Corinne 

Roses from our garden, picked because heavy rain is forecast.

1st May 2026...fungi, benches and flowers

The fungi that smells like meat to attract flies, in order to pollinate.

We decided to change our garden benches, after 20 years they have become quite dangerous! So Dave makes lighting wood from them.

A painted lady butterfly

Wild rose

Pyracantha

Monthly picture.

30th April 2026...WA number 18 !

We wanted to try out a new restaurant.....and headed towards Carcassonne.

This restaurant advertised vegetarian options... unfortunately the owners were under the impression that vegetarians ate fish...🫩

I was eventually given the only true vegetarian choise they had...a cheese salad followed by veggie burger.....non protein, just "vegetable galette" burger.

The scenery was beautiful and a walk around the side of the lake enjoyable.

Starters... Dave, a cream of mushroom and bacon , with a poached egg in the middle.

Me, Green salad and goats cheese.

Daves main....Sole with risotto and exotique sauce (we didn't ask!)

My main, veggie burger 🍔 

The chips were great!

Daves dessert, Strawberry tart.

My dessert

Crème brûlée 

Yum 😋 

Some views of the lake...

26th April 2026...A very long walk. .

We went for a hour and a half walk, 2.3km walk.

Which is further than I have walked in years!

Around what was a circular, pine forest track. Now during the last few years the trees have been felled, and more were lost in February to the storm Nils.

So in some places its devastated, but nature is fighting back, and many species which couldn't grow under the darkness of the pines are starting to grow....here are the photos.

Pine trees new growth, vivid green and I believe edible?

One of the many tree clearing machines 

Dave walking through the forest...not!

A rock rose...

How it was before.

One of the many views

Rock rose (different variety)

Rock rose, I think this one was called Sage Leaf Cystis?

The wood.

Facing our direction 

Birds eye view of the damage hanging over our road...still !

Violets

Violets and wild alpine strawberries. 

Early spotted orchid.

Not sure of his ones name.

Saxifrage 

Tracks of the machines 

Milkweed?

Sisyrinchium.. I think 🤔 

Just below Pierre's house, a whole stand of pines removed several years ago...nearly all green now.

Purple flower... possibly another squill?

What we collected from the track.

Rock roses

Wild Lavender 

Strange old dear...wearing a good friends sun hat!

Wild Lavender