I am feeling quite traumatised. I’ve just been extracting a tick from Paul’s bum. God only knows how it got there, we make a point of avoiding any long grass as we know the meadows are rife with ticks that feed on deer and other wildlife. One of the lesser joys of life in the French countryside.
The raspberry bushes are
going bananas so I’ve just been outside picking er - raspberries - from the garden. I am expert at choosing perfectly ripe fruits
and discovering them hiding under the thick foliage. This usually involves me doing a limbo dance
or standing upside down to find the hidden berries.
Yesterday we cycled through Pomarède, a small commune with a few
houses, church and a popular restaurant.
As we rode past the church a contemporary sculpture caught my eye at the
side of the road.
It is war memorial by local
sculptor, Patrick Vogel, that was installed in 2003 commemorating local men who
gave their lives fighting in North Africa in the 1950s. I’d never really noticed it when we’ve driven
by in the car. It's amazing how much more you see when you travel slowly.
It is disappointing that you didn't post a picture of the enormous blood-gorging tick embedded in Paul's bottom. What was he doing with his trousers down in the first place?
ReplyDeleteYou don't seriously want to see a photo of Paul's bottom?
DeleteWhat? No. I am an amateur entomologist, fascinated by the world's 899 species of ticks. Did you know they are loosely divided into "soft ticks" and "hard ticks"? Fascinating.
DeleteI've done more than my fair share of tick pulling this year and it ain't fun or pretty.
ReplyDeleteThey are disgusting creatures aren't they!
DeleteIsn't that a statue of a woman on the War Memorial to men? How strange - is it symbolic?
ReplyDeleteOur dog has a special (Scalibor) collar that she wears all the time, and keeps her free from ticks - perhaps you should get one for Paul?
The sculptor has described it thus, "Bust of woman, beautiful, with the face composed, calm and dignified but with this discreet sadness symbolized by three tears. Resigned, surrounded by two columns that seem to oppress and support her at the same time because her pain is felt and shared by a country, a Republic, its men." The tick collar is interesting.
DeleteYou should be able to buy one from the local vet !
DeleteSpraying ticks with fly spray/ insect repellant will kill them and make them just drop off. Awful how they like to crawl into nooks and crannies ( or cracks !!!) in hard to see and detect places.
ReplyDeleteThey seems to like those warm nooks and crannies!
DeleteAs Paul discovered.
DeleteI've been eating Chez Murat for well over 40 years, and it's still my favourite restaurant in the area.
ReplyDeleteOne day your paths will surely cross.
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