Barn Owls

I was pacing the house last night suffering from chocolate withdrawal symptoms (I had forgotten to buy any on my last shopping trip). While I was standing at the window dreaming of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Chocolate I was treated to a stunning owl flying display.  Barney Owl suddenly swooped down from the tower and glided across the courtyard before settling into the open window of the barn.  He perched on the sill and looked around for a few minutes before disappearing into the barn.  A few minutes later another owl swooped down, presumably Mrs Barney Owl.  She flew into the open grange and perched on a large beam.  She didn’t stay there long, flying out and back into the tower with a mouse between her claws, no doubt dinner for their young.  So much owl activity in one evening.

Our barn owls have been in residence in the roof of our pigeonnier ever since we moved here.  The top windows of the tower are completely open to allow them free entry and exit.  We didn’t have the heart to evict them and shutter the windows.  Paul once climbed through the bathroom ceiling to explore the top room of the tower. (I had visions of it being my very own studio or hideaway.  I could pretend to be Rapunzel and grow my hair long.)

 

Owls' Entrance into the Tower

However, he discovered that there wasn’t enough headroom for it to be a viable living space.  He took some photographs and it seems that the owls actually live in the very top part of the tower.

Barn Owls Roost in the Tower

If you look very closely you can see the white underside of the owl roosting on the top of the beam to the right of the centre point.

It will not be long before the young ones fledge and I shall be able to enjoy their unwieldly attempts at learning to fly.

Bikes and Garden Stuff

It was good to be back in the saddle this morning bowling along the country lanes, breathing in the summery scents of rose, honeysuckle and elder flower.  We stopped for a quick break at the top of Scotsman’s Hill. 

“Are you okay, you look a bit white?”

“I’m fine, it’s sun cream.”

We made good time along the valley and then it was the long climb up Les Chenes.  Paul attempted to change gear and dislodged his chain.  I  took advantage of this unplanned stop to rest my weary legs.  Paul used to ride competitively and doesn’t really understand the concept of a leisurely bike ride.  He then proceeded to explain the mechanics of bike gears to me.  I have twenty one gears on my bike and I know exactly what gear to select to make my riding as smooth and effortless as possible.  Some even have names, I have a Froome gear and a Greipel gear.  But I have never really thought in detail about what is happening with those greasy cogs and chains.  Paul went into great detail telling me all about teeth ratios and stuff.  I’m not a lot wiser.

self-sown lobelia

Paul doesn’t often bring me flowers but he did present me with a pile of new potatoes freshly dug from the garden for lunch.  They were absolutely delicious.

new potatoes

blueberries developing nicely

an inquisitive lizard

My Husband Has Gone Off With Another Woman

My husband has gone off with another woman.  He jumped into the car this afternoon and drove off towing the trailer.  He’s taken Gail to Cahors to buy a new mattress.  Apparently she has bed bugs.  (Gail and Alistair have a holiday cottage on the other side of the woods.)

So I was home alone, left to my own devices.  What wickedness did I get up to?  I started to write my blog about mole catching (Paul is a mole catcher extraordinaire whose talents are in demand throughout the hamlet).  No, that all got too unpleasant.  I  pottered around the garden, dead headed a few roses.  Thought about making some rosemary pana cotta.  Poured myself a glass of cold rosé at aperitif time.  Watched the sparrows fighting with the nuthatches on the feeder.  Poured myself another glass of wine – oops, someone’s just got home.

"But you haven't written anything about mole catching."

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Did anyone watch Chris's Story last night, an incredibly moving documentary about a man in his fifties suffering from dementia and how he struggled with everyday life in his own home.  It was compelling viewing and very sad.  In one scene he was wearing a t-shirt with the inscription “Roses are red, Violets are blue, I’ve got Alzheimers, Cheese on toast.”  It must be hard to retain a sense of humour when you have dementia.

Comfort Food

The weather has been so grim this week.  It’s a good thing we live on a hill.  We seriously considered packing a suitcase and driving south to Spain or Morocco in search of sunshine.  But with the fuel shortages (some of our local supermarket’s pumps were empty yesterday) this didn’t seem to be the best idea.

Today there is some respite in the weather.  Paul and I walked through the woods with a bag of rubbish to the poubelles (rubbish bins).  We met Philippe who was on his way to his parent’s farm.  They had lost a dozen chickens overnight.  He didn’t think it was a fox as they all had their heads removed.  I didn’t recognise the word he used for the suspected culprit, it might have been ‘furet’ which is a ferret.

This miserable weather has given me an excuse to stay in the warm kitchen and cook a hearty casserole.  I’ve used a recipe from my trusty Delia cookbook.  The book is over thirty years old and held together by duck tape and full of my own notes and scribbles.  Yesterday we had a vegetarian black bean chilli but tonight it’s Spanish Pork with Olives.  It's very rich and delicious with rice or mashed potatoes.

Critters

This persistent rain is really depressing.  It's the first of June and we are sitting in front of the log burner.

Paul and I ventured outside earlier and walked, or squelched, down the hill to the small lake.  The ground was very soggy underfoot.  All was quiet at the lake, the wild ducks had flown off as we approached and there were just a few water boatmen paddling around on the surface of the water. Suddenly there was a loud splosh!  Something had just dived into the water and was swimming across the lake.  We could just see a nose and a long tail.

"It's a rat!"
"No, too big for a rat."
"Beaver?"
"Don't think so."
"Otter?"
"Too small for an otter."
"Muskrat."
"You mean a meerkat."
"No, a muskrat."
"What's a muskrat?"
 

Strange critter in the water

Coypu

It was too far away to get a clear shot with the camera but the creature was actually a Coypu, a large semi aquatic rodent that is originally native to South America but was introduced to Europe in the last century as a result of the fur trade. Some escaped from fur farms and others were released into the wild when the fur trade declined. It is quite common in France and is present in many lakes and waterways. Unfortunately for the Coypu it is responsible for much damage to river banks and is considered a pest; traps are often set to catch them.

Further on we came to the frog pond. Mostly all you can see are pairs of eyes peering out through the green slime. These guys are so loud when they start singing. 

European Common Frog

Lizard

Monsieur Lezard made a brief appearance when we got home.  He is desperate for some more sunshine.
 

Field Mouse

Is this the mouse responsible for eating my sun umbrella?