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!


16 comments:

rusty duck said...

Ha Ha! Love the deer shot... watching me watching you.
Spring has definitely sprung at Charnizay. Not quite that warm here yet, but it's still early days. Enjoy.

Vera said...

Spring is definitely on the way down here in the SW of France, thank goodness, because the animals really do need to have the sun on their backs, as do we of course!

Susan said...

The deer are great! Outrageously warm outside today!

Re the sculpture I've just written about Paulette Richon, to be published in a few days.

Jean said...

How lovely to have the deer right on your doorstep, so to speak.
We missed your brocante today due to being otherwise occupied chez nous. We desperately hope that this will be the last time we have to let local events go unvisited due to " travaux" and that in the not too distant future we will be getting up on a Sunday morning and thinking
what shall we do today - let's go to the brocante at Charnizay......I just can't wait !!

GaynorB said...

Lovely pics making us homesick for France. Hopefully we shall also be there for next years brocante. Did you buy anything?

the fly in the web said...

That was quick action, catching the deer!

Tim said...

We saw absolutely zero by way of publicity for the Charnizay brocante.Nothing in the NR, no leaflets or posters, nothing. We just had too much to get on with, it was such a nice day after such a dreary winter. No doubt loads of other people felt the same. Pauline

Craig said...

I always think that the first nice warmish day of spring after a dreary winter is about the best of the year. We've had one so far and that could be classified as faintly warmish! Loving the dear shot.

Kathy said...

That's a great shot of the deer. I'm feeling envious of your temperatures and spring flowers as spring is being slow to arrive in Mid-Wales and the temperature is hovering around 5C again. :( I'm always surprised to see you mentioning Charnizay's fete in early March. It does seem so very early in the year.

Tim said...

The eyes, the eyes....
the glowing eyes...
are you sure that they really are deer?

Niall, a great grab shot!!
You'll have to treat yourselves to a trail-camera...
you'll really see some sights...
of things that go...
squawk, grunt, skreech and bump...
during those worrisome nights!

Louisette said...

Wonderfull fauna and flora, greeting from Belgium


http://louisette.eklablog.com = My blog city MONS in Belgium
http://retriever-kat-scrap-louisettesblogs.blogspot.com

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