Sunday 4 March 2012

Etang de la Ribaloche

Earlier this week the weather was rather nice. Warming temperatures and some sun. Sadly chezcharnizay was stricken by a seasonal lurgy so we didn't have a real opportunity to enjoy it and get on with some of the outdoor tasks such as cutting back bushes. Simon & Susan dropped by and were greeted by clapper bells and warnings of 'unclean', so unfortunately no coffee for them!

picnic table waiting for better weather

Now, having dispatched the lurgy, the weather, predictably, has returned to its familiar default setting of misty grey. In fact, today it is spitting rain as well and there is more forecast for later in the week.

watery sun reflection
Yesterday we had some small bits shopping to do so popped out and on the way back decided to use the Forêt de Preuilly backroad. Round the small etang of Ribaloche all still looks quite wintry as the photographs show.

'arty version' in B&W effect
Round the house the signs are better. The snowdrops are still flowering, but our cowslips show no signs as yet. All our young fruit trees survived the freeze and show plenty of buds. The daffodils got caught in the 'grand froid' so we have a few flowering face down. We have the very first forsythia flowers beginning to break open on one of the bushes; but at the moment, that's it. Happily we know there is more to come.

23 comments:

LindyLouMac said...

I think you might be sending the weather our way, as long as the lurgy does not come as well. We have been doing lots in the garden including last of olive pruning. Daffodils are slowly recovering, but all much later this year due to that cold spell!

Diane said...

Glad to hear that the lurgy has gone. I was looking around our garden yesterday and I suspect that both my Rosemary bush and the Bay tree have been hit very hard, neither look happy. I have taken some cuttings in the hope that they may get away even if the parent plant does not. I will cut them both back though and hope. My daffodils seem to have rotted in the ground. They had all come up and were in bud but now they have that soggy look about them. The crocus and the bluebells appear to be fine but they have only just popped through the ground. Diane

Niall & Antoinette said...

@LindyLou - promise we won't send the lurgy. Yes everything is much later and/or had a real drubbing from the weather.

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Diane - we've lost some pots and a standing privet ball looks very unhappy. We'll have to see. On the up side it means there is still time for us to do some pruning.

the fly in the web said...

Glad the lurgy has retreated....it all looks very wintry to me still - but I suppose it would!

GaynorB said...

Better to get the lurgy over and done with now so that when the prolonged spell of better weather arrives you will both be in fine fettle!

Although I love snow, on the whole spring is my favourite season so I am always glad to see it arrive.

Jean said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jean said...

I deleted the previous attempt because it made no sense....too much red wine with our dinner.

Anyway, glad to hear you are feeling better. The lurgy is a much underrated affliction and very miserable it makes one...
Spring is lurking in the wings, stage left....not long now.

Perpetua said...

Glad to hear that the lurgy was short-lived. Your weather sounds very like ours - beautifully springlike earlier in the week, with primroses showing, but now colder, damp and grey again. Hope that wasn't spring....

ladybird said...

Hope you are fully recovered and are in tiptop shape to enjoy the first signs of spring. Overhere, winter is back, with a real snow blizzard this morning, causing havoc on the roads. And more cold weather is expected - brrrrrr. Martine

P.S. Thank you for teaching me a new word: 'lurgy'! Sounds really good although it feels bad :)

The Broad said...

Glad to hear you are both on the mend and out and about. Even in the cold it's obvious how beautiful it is in your part of the world. Lurgy is visiting my husband, but so far I've stayed free of it. It's his second bout this winter and I avoided they last time -- and he's the one had the flu shot! Today it's beautiful and sunny here -- but very cold and the weatherman/girl says cold and horrible grey wet 'stuff' is on the way tomorrow. But who is complaining -- In Connecticut where my mom lives the high is -1 and the low -13!

Pollygarter said...

Good to know you are lurgy free! We have probably lost our rosemary, though a charry laurel has taken the hit on behalf of the little bay. The fruit bushes are starting to sprout, and the hazels are busting out all over!

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Jean - spring seems to be making an effort again today. We have sun :-)

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Helen - LOL! yes it would as would the temperatures :-)

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Gaynor - lurgy all gone. The tummy variety was very popular this year ;-)

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Perpetua - do hope we get a nice sunny spring this year. Mind you, last year here it was fab so it would we'd be very lucky to have 2 in a row.

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Martine - saw the blizzard on the news last night it messed up northern France as well.

Ja, lurgy klinkt wat beter dan buik griep ;-)

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Broad - I know, compared to New England we are all weather wusses!

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Pauline - so far our standing box ball looks to be the main casualty. Not too sure about the fuschia either; but the potted roses look ok.

Cuby said...

We had one day of perfect Spring and since then cold and bitter, but we live in hope.

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Cuby it is getting better here. More blasts of sun today and next week from Monday it is set to be clear skies and about 15C which with the sun will be lovely for working outside :-).

Vera said...

Hope that more spring flowers have appeared for you, hope that the lurgy really has left you for always, hope you are both feeling well.

Niall & Antoinette said...

@Vera - lurgy pretty well banished thanks; N still has some snivels. Sat outside with morning coffee today YAY! and spotted the first wood violets!