We head through the village onto the track that leads to the waterfall. Ten minutes down the track it starts to rain. A torrent disgorged by one solitary cloud that's coalesced overhead. Not a shower but a torrent. Angus gets soaked to the skin. There was a time when I'd have complained. Now with water trickling down the back of my collar I find myself laughing aloud. '' What are the chances of that happening ? " I say to Sophie. She pauses to make sure I'm not offering her something to eat then races after Bob who has heard movement in a hedgerow. The two of them lost in a world of constant excitement.
The PONs charge through the sunflowers to the small lake. They stand on its banks and drink at length. Sophie with her front paws in the water. Her brother more prudently on terra firma. They find and shred some bullrushes. Sophie watches, transfixed, as the bullrush seeds climb ladders of light into the air. The clouds disappear to be replaced, in the distance, by soon to be anvil heads .
Down near the stream there's a patch of sunflowers that are already drying out and wilting. Their space being invaded by hearty cornflowers. Why this one patch of sunflowers should be so far advanced when the rest of the field is just coming into bloom is something of a mystery.
Sophie sprints up the hill to check the mechanical digger that's been parked by the new petanque court. When the spirit grips her those little mechanical knees sure can move. We stop to examine the red pipe work that the workmen have left coiled up outside the village hall. Tails wag maniacally.
Sunday morning in deepest , deepest France profonde. Not a soul to be seen. Our only companions thousands of busy bees, circling eagles and grass hopping blackbirds. Not of course to forget the collared doves in the church belfry and the sparrow families in our gutters. Undoubtedly, the best day ever and we haven't even been to the bakers.
14 comments:
ANGUS - what...........not a single mention of the FIFA final????????????????..............with France and Croatia. This truly could be the best day ever in your part of the world.
All the village houses have strange inflatable blue white and red tubes hanging from their front gates. There will be a 'gathering' in the village hall tonight so doubtless there will be much about the World Cup and its aftermath tomorrow !
The blue flowers are chicory, often mistaken for cornflowers. In fact, after discussion with a naturalist friend, I think the 'cornflower' emblem used for WWI rememberance here (the equivalent of the British and Commonwealth poppy) is a chicory flower. As he pointed out to me, chicory would have been much more likely to be visible from the trenches and react by happily self-seeding in all that devastation and soil disturbance, just like the poppies. Also the stylised flower used on the stickers one gets for making a donation to the 'returned servicemen's association' (sorry, I forget its proper name) is much more reminiscent of a chicory flower than a cornflower.
What a peaceful late summers day in your village. The Pons make each day unique and special and we wish we could join them for a walk, showers and all.
let's hope the trip to the bakers measures uo.
Looking forward here to this afternoon's game. So much more relaxing when one's own country is not involved... One can't help but notice the different levels of ethnic diversity in the the two teams. Two different images of modern Europe?
Is that the same chicory that after drying is added to coffee in rural parts ?
It did.
Yes, I think it's the dried root. But Susan would know best.
I always enjoy these walks to the waterfall. That's a great photo of the sunflowers glowing in contrast to the dried wheat fields. Hoping for a victorious France today.
Hari Om
I'll add my comment here today, Angus and tell you that, yes, that is the root which is dried and ground as 'chicory coffee'. The leaves and root can be used for salad or cooked vegetable. The are related to the dandelion, another edible wildflower. As was the sunflower...
Wet, windy and misty here by the Clyde today. YAM xx
Wet and windy would be wonderful after day of 36 degree heat and the humidity to go with it !
This generation of PONs seem to get by with the exercise a couple of empty nesters can give them although it must seem dull after their predecessors 24/7 guarding of toddlers or teenagers.
If the village is anything to go by it's a foregone conclusion. The washing machine delivery drivers informed me that 'Les Bleus are simply the best'.
I Googled chicory to find out more, because we have a root vegetable here that sometimes goes by the name of Chicory, but is more commonly recognised as Endive or Belgian Leaf chicory. Often served up in salads, or cooked as a vegetable to accompany a meat dish. Rather bitter raw, better flavoured when cooked, but not hugely popular.
One can imagine the joy overload for Bob and Sophie after the visit to the baker's !
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