18 May 2018

Monsieur Blaireau

Sue's Folly


The sunshine returned today and suddenly everything seems brighter in the world. 

I took Rick out for his walk this afternoon.  It was very pleasant walking in the sunshine listening to the crickets, they were extraordinarily noisy.  The wheat is growing fast in the fields and there are orchids and white daisies growing along the verges.  I walked through the woods and then followed the pathway that Paul had cut earlier with his ride on mower.  The local farmers have not got round to cutting the grass this year yet and the footpaths are very overgrown.


Paul was chatting to Philippe in his garden when I got back. Philippe is very proud of his potager, he retired last year and spends hours now weeding and hoeing and planting in very straight lines.  Paul came back shaking his head and I asked him if everything was okay with Philippe.

“No, he is very upset.”
“Oh, no, is someone ill in his family?”
“No, worse.  A blaireau got into his potager last night and ate the strawberries.”

A blaireau is a badger.  I know badgers eat worms and insects but I didn’t realise they eat fruit too. Philippe needs to secure the fencing around his plot to make sure he doesn’t return.  I've put Rick on badger watch to make sure my strawberries are safe.


11 comments:

  1. Badgers are ruthless and will eat anything, including hedgehogs. And they will get under fences and root through whatever is in their way.

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    1. I've never seen any sign of badgers around here before. I suspect Philippe will get his gun out if he gets any more damage.

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    2. The only good badger is a dead one.

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  2. Sounds like our raccoons. They are omnivores and, over the years of town living, have developed a taste for what we throw out in our green bins. What a mess they make!

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    1. I think Rick is a raccoon in disguise.

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  3. Our nearby Badger sett has been 'emptied' by the local farmers. I don't think they've heard of 'Live and let live'. They never visited Haddock's, but I did find a deer in there once; which is why I erected my fence. Philippe's plot looks wonderful, I can understand him being proud of it.

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    1. He grows a ridiculous amount of stuff and then doesn't know what to do with it all.

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  4. Early days of living in France, I got my Blaireau and Poireau - let alone Poirot - mixed up at the local bakers. That plot looks very productive and neat. No Diane The Dawg to scare off the Strawberry Thief.

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    1. I think Diane definitely used to keep them away when she was on night patrol. Her presence is missed.

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  5. Birds, slugs, and rabbits. Those are my main pests. We don't have badgers here in Ontario, but groundhogs are similar. Your neighbour has a wonderful garden! -Jenn

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    1. We also have deer that nibble the trees and wild boar that dig up gardens.

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