What a week we've had! In many ways, it has been very quiet, not least as we have been "enjoying" our fifth chronic heatwave of the season. While "only" about 39 degrees for much of the week, it saps the strength and any determination to do something useful. The best I could find was to carry on sorting through photos and videos from the trail cameras, to delete the rubbish. Occasionally I got a nice surprise such as this shot of an arriving blue tit, which makes sifting through the dross worth the trouble.
In other ways, it has not been quiet. On Monday afternoon I drove up north of la Fleche to see a friend who is in hospital up there. On the way back, and once past la Fleche, I noticed a column of smoke off to the south east. My heart sank - the fires four years ago destroyed a large tract of woodland and were very scary - I did not relish going through that again. At first I feared it was in the same patch of woodland, but as I drove further south, it became obvious it was in a different area. For those that know our bit of France, it was behind the cemetery in le Guedenieu.
This was the view from our garden, but social media, doing a good job for once, gave us more details, kept us informed on progress in the fight against the flames, told us where not to go, and supplied the occasional excellent photo - so this one isn't me, but was put out there to show what was happening.
After a massive effort by some 150 firefighters, 52 engines, lots of farmers, 2 helicopters, 2 small planes and one very large Dash aircraft, the fire was first contained, then mastered, but won't be declared out for quite a while yet, as roots and peat burn slow and deep until they find a pocket of oxygen and flare up again. The worst is behind us.
That did not affect the spectacle that was the partial eclipse of the sun on Wednesday. We saw the total eclipse in 1999 on the Normandy coast, and it was spectacular. This time, it was only 95%, and in the evening so the light was already getting a bit odd. It was still nearly 40 degrees when we donned our slinky eclipse glasses and started to track the moon's passage. Last time we got photos by using an old school SLR camera with telephoto lens and welding glass. This time, the best we could do was the fabulous, old school pin hole camera effect, which was very effective. In the main, we just watched and enjoyed the experience.
While we did actually have some rain yesterday, the signs of drought are all around us. There is a new phenomenon of ready cooked apples, although only on one side. People have been wondering if it is a new disease - no, it's just an immature apple being fried by the sun, on the tree as it grows.
Other things are doing OK - the three aubergine plants like the lack of competition (last year's got dominated by the courgette monsters) and also the weather conditions, so are producing good quantities of tasty fruits.
The pumpkin plants that started slowly, now look like they will produce at least three fruits between the two of them, possibly more if the weather cools down and gets a bit wetter. One snuck up on us and looks like it will be a reasonable size for the variety (potiron, so quite small).
Last year we did very well for tomatoes. This year we just have three coeur de boeuf plants, but they should provide enough fruits for a few punnets of tomato sauce for the winter.
We did our last picking of blackberries today - I would love to say that we were being altruistic and leaving the rest to wildlife, but if I am honest, I am fed up with lots of little cuts on my hands and arms from bramble thorns. I think we have about 6 pounds of fruit which will make a good few jars of bramble jelly when I am ready, so it is time to call a halt. When I did that this morning in the Meadow, I was then treated to an aerial display by a couple of buzzards. I couldn't tell if it was a pair, or a parent teaching a child, but it was lovely to watch.
That brings us full circle from birds to birds, which works nicely I think. Now I must go and do things with stewed plums, and wipe down the jars of Victoria plum jam I made earlier. This week brings a few sewing challenges, and the final decorations for the Float for the Comice.
There won't be a blog next Sunday, as I will be with the float at the Comice and hoping it stays dry (but not too hot). I will do the Comice blog(s) on the Monday and/or Tuesday the following week.
Have a good week or so!
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