The dry and warm weather continues and Ian is currently in the field trying to pull out as much ragwort as he can. We want to cut the meadow for hay (a shortage of the stuff at the moment) but it is no good for horses if it is full of ragwort, which is poisonous to them when cut and dried. Yesterday we went for a walk around the field and the orchids are out in full force.
This one is a bee orchid and there are fewer of them than the pyramid orchids, which along with the daisies make really make the field look spring like. Of course once it is grazed we will lose a lot of this, but for now it is beautiful.
The other things that are out in force are the insects. There are enormous big black bees, blue butterflies and closer to the river, we saw a few dragonflies.
The word in French for dragonfly is
libellule, pronounced a bit like 'lee-bell-loo'.
After our walk through the field we headed off down a footpath in search of the old 'lavarie' or washing place. The farmer had told us that before these farms were connected to mains water people had wells for their day to day water but walked themselves and their animals down to the local washing place to water the animals and to wash their clothes! Well, we think we found it; a fair walk from the road, down through the trees and through a small meadow. The dam for the stream has long since washed away but with some imagination we could picture it! I must admit I am grateful for running water!
5 comments:
Mr Pedantic has to step in; it's lose not loose.
One loses objects when one forgets where one has put them; one loosens one's tie.
Thanks! All changed! Congratulations on the job. I hope you are not communting to the Middle East every day!
No - Chandler's Ford, just outside Southampton. Got the job of MD, or rather MD designate, or the European operation. Providing nothing goes wrong in the 1st 6 months, I get confirmed in the position.
Well good luck. Hope it goes well and rhe commute is not too bad. Will you stay down there in the week or go back and forth daily?
Daily commute, but I imagine that most of the time I'll be travelling around Europe.
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