Sunday 8 March 2015

Spring Intermezzo

A brief intermezzo before we post the second part of the Sculptures in Touraine exhibition.

After seemingly endless grey skies and rain we've suddenly been given some super springtime weather and for the last 3 days the temperature outside has been hovering around the 18C mark. Glorious! Especially nice for Charnizay's annual fete which takes place over this weekend with the obligatory brocante yesterday. We went down to have a wander and despite the fabulous weather it was relatively quiet. Being so early in the year we think reduces the number of visitors. There were more stalls than last year and on one you could even buy a pair of bronze scantily clad ladies for the modest sum of €480! A slight cut above the usual stuff on offer.

Snowdrops on their way out, double daffs in bud
Our snowdrops are disappearing while you look and the daffodils have taken over, as have the cowslips. The double daffodils are still in bud, but give it few more days like today with wonderful sunshine and they'll be breaking open as well. The small sweet smelling wood violets are beginning to unfurl their tiny purple flowers as well.
Early daffs by the drive 
On Friday Niall dusted off the two chairs and table we have at the front south-side of the house and even put out the flag to celebrate the 'first cup of coffee outside in 2015'!
Ready for morning coffee outside
It is still cold in the mornings and Météo France forecasts rain again on Tuesday, but the temperatures look like they will hold up around the 14 or 15C mark or so in the afternoons this coming week and some hazy sun is predicted from Wednesday onwards.

Cowslips, if you look carefully you can just spot some kind of fly on one of the flowers
Finally we couldn't resist putting up this photo of the roe deer out the back one morning just before it got light. The quality is terrible, even with loads of tweaking -- Niall had to take it in a rush through a crack in the kitchen door in low level light with no tripod and no time to set the camera for the light conditions. All three had been lying down when Niall spotted them. Seconds after this was taken they ran off.
Morning to you!