2013-03-31 Caroline….

 

Caroline’s private jet arriving at Beziers (ok its Ryanair really!) Note the blue, blue sky…..it didn’t last !

Relaxing on the terrace……………………………………………….and the day of departure :O(

 

 

Caroline and I in the Polygone shopping centre…..

At the top of the lock gate water fall………

Sky is blue and so are we at losing you….come back soon !

2013-03-23 Birds in the garden.

 

One of the kestrels who nest here each year.

 

A brambling (through the window and zoomed in on a bit too much, sorry)

You may need to click on this picture and zoom in on the white rock at the base of the spindle tree…..there you will find a Hawfinch cracking last years cherry stones……their beak has a force of ( allegedly ) 50kg !!

2013-03-15 View of the snow in Northern France, from the plane !

 

2013-03-13 A visit to the UK.

 

In my parents garden….a reed bunting

Me and my sister Veronica….at a garden centre…what a surprise !

The first house I live in when I came to Bristol area in 1973……

Clifton suspension bridge……………

The S.S. Great Britain.

2013-03-10 Garden(s) flower and veg !

 

 

Spring, springing in Cailho !

Dwarf Iris

Flowers of a different sort……this was our first attempt at caulis in the lower garden we thought it would be too windy :O) PS behind me and to the left of the picture are purple and white sprouting broccoli, a second successful year for this.

 

 

ah hem……yes well it was too windy for the sprouts….they nearly made sprouts then decided to all go to seed……..

The peach tree……looks like another good year, lots of thinning to be done, this is the result of a good pruning 2 years ago.

My favourite picture….didn’t notice the fly….did you ?

 

Kiwi, inspecting her new garden spot !!

Dave pulled out all the lavender from this area….it was a dwarf variety which was not as good as the variety at the front, which i have taken LOTS of cuttings from.

It gives me a good area to put all the plants which i have been buying on Ebay !!!

Lets hope I have chosen some tough ones.

 

 

I have never been a great fan of roses, but I am coming around, here are my first ones in a tub at the front of the (will they be OK in a tub ??)

Finally….my and my Granny Lee’s favourite flower, this year we are smothered in violets and their smell is wonderful………….

2013-03-08 Dave’s drain digging cont…..

 

 

 

2013-03-08 More of the Mason Bees……

After a shocking start for them (emerging on a hot day followed by torrential rain for three days) the mason bees seem to have done very well this year, we were tempted to put up more canes, but enough is enough !  see how they seal of the ends of the canes with mud each evening…..and then finally for the whole of the summer and winter to emerge again next march. the little ones with white noses are the males, you can see them peeping out of the canes if you zoom in !
    

Procreating, their sole purpose in life…….


A very busy bee day !









 

Click on these ......to watch the bees at work....

Mason Bees at Cailho

Mason Bees Competitive Mating

2013-03-07 Dave digs a drain !

 

After 3 days of rain,  and the new grange filling up with water…….Dave decided to dig out the drain so that it doesn’t happen again !!!

 

 

          

He also found a disconnected earth wire…..might explain some of our power cuts  :O)

2013-03-03 Grafting cherries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2013-03-03 Mason Bees emerging

We put up these canes 2 years ago, for the Mason bees which were inhabiting our wall…..ever year they emerge on a sunny day, and then seem to lay eggs back in the canes and presumably die. this year we had a really hot day, they have emerged, and then it rained hard for 3 days….so now i don’t know what they will do……the more sensible one are still in the canes !

Two Youtube videos of the bees......taken in April when they emerged and were busy, the first one there are two males fighting over a female :O)

  http://youtu.be/Vozdve7-HtU

 http://youtu.be/c9kYR1RaPew