Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Never seen before.


Orchids springing up on the village green. A variety I've not seen before.We have chosen to live in a deeply unfashionable department where wild orchids grow untroubled. This is a good thing.


Down in the valley the air is clear, the sky is blue and the sun is hinting at a hot day to come. Sophie is in her element. I'm sure she skips along the road.


Yesterday, the Volvo was delivered to the garage. Later today I'll go down to pick it up after its service. Seems there is a problem with the aircon. A part has been ordered but it will need to go back in again next week.  In Toulouse life is back to normal but now I'd guess that 80% of people are wearing masks. The Volvo garage has got the customer screening process down to a tee. I catch a brief glimpse of a receptionist in the showroom and am given my key to the replacement car by a masked man behind a perspex screen.  From all the cars in the employees parking lot I'd guess there must be another twenty or thirty folks being super careful and avoiding contact with customers.


The old mayor arrives and starts cutting The Old Farmers paddock. In the seven weeks he's been ensconced with his lady friend our neighbours grass has grown a good eighteen inches in height. It will soon be collected and baled for the horse farm. Waste not want not French village style.

Sophie gets a second walk. This time we head to the waterfall where she has a drink that would satisfy an elephant.  



The morning routines of a fluffy dog and her master in an exceedingly quiet part of France profonde.


Sunny morning music : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0AuHYNj8qQ


8 comments:

Tigger's Mum said...

What a magnificent orchid. We love the wild ones so much more than their cultivated cousins. Beautiful in the wild.

WFT Nobby said...

Is that a bee orchid? Perhaps one of your more expert readers will comment.
Sophie is looking wonderfully happy today. And no wonder.

Taste of France said...

Your orchid is exquisite. We have fields full--almost as with poppies--of pyramidal orchids and Serapias cordigera but also Ophrys apifera and tiny Ophrys druentica (I think. Maybe they're Ophrys provincialis). Check out: https://www.orchisauvage.fr/index.php?m_id=7

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari om
There is a proper flavour of summer about today's post... thanks for sharing that with those of us in lesser climes! YAM xx

Coppa's girl said...

How wonderful to find something as beautiful as the orchid on the village green. I do hope that the mayor doesn't decide to cut the grass!
Hot and humid here today and we'll soon have to be out earlier on our morning walk. Last night we went out just before 9:30 and enjoyed the wonderful evening twilight - not a soul, car, or even another dog walker in sight!

Sheila said...

I'm quite certain Gail is right in identifying the bee orchid. Isn't it odd that in all your years walking on the village green you've never seen them before. Or the orchids which have been appearing in your own lawn for that matter.

I am wondering whether the Old Farmer will be receiving payment for his hay crop. He turned down your offer of mowing earlier in the year because of the cash he could count on for cutting it later.

Poppy Q said...

We envy you your nice weather, blue skies, beautiful orchids and rippling fields of grass.

Susan said...

Yes, a Bee Orchid Ophrys apifera.