Days on the Claise

Very much enjoyed the read Susan. Also meeting Kat...

2012-05-28T17:30:25.408+02:00

Very much enjoyed the read Susan. Also meeting Kathy and John. Thanks for the lunch, another nice memory to take home with us.

Tim: The photos above were taken at your place las...

2012-05-28T09:10:44.064+02:00

Tim: The photos above were taken at your place last year. They are two different species of Ephemera - danica (below) and vulgata (above). I'm not surprised the Wagtails are targetting them - they are remarkably nutritious from what I read.

The Manna has been feeding hungry White Wagtail ch...

2012-05-27T22:42:54.644+02:00

The Manna has been feeding hungry White Wagtail chicks for the past few days... the parents seem to be targetting them more than any other species that are flying at the moment.

They'll grow back just fine... the limes polla...

2012-05-27T22:39:15.625+02:00

They'll grow back just fine... the limes pollard 'bootifully'. Not sure what shape they are after, tho'... and it will take about ten years to look like anything other than a bog brush!!

chm - if that is the case, it's a career chang...

2012-05-27T19:20:10.453+02:00

chm - if that is the case, it's a career change done very late in ife...

Are you sure they are trees and not 'poteaux t...

2012-05-27T19:02:26.121+02:00

Are you sure they are trees and not 'poteaux télégraphiques'?

Now Elizabeth would be proud of a prune like that....

2012-05-27T18:30:22.559+02:00

Now Elizabeth would be proud of a prune like that... Did not know she had been to Montresor...

Google again I did type that first time!

Now Elizabeth would be proud of a been to Montreso...

2012-05-27T18:26:54.366+02:00

Now Elizabeth would be proud of a been to Montresor...

We're sure to be there a couple of times this ...

2012-05-27T16:02:00.546+02:00

We're sure to be there a couple of times this year, so I will keep taking photos until we know the outcome.

cant believe they'll grow back to look like an...

2012-05-27T13:17:14.992+02:00

cant believe they'll grow back to look like anything

Colin: thanks - very interesting. I've only sk...

2012-05-27T10:06:26.053+02:00

Colin: thanks - very interesting. I've only skimmed it, but will definitely read it properly soon. The bit about PVC guttering leaching lead was new info for me (hadn't occurred to me how the UV protection for plastics works). I like having quantitative information rather than anecdotal.

Quelle horreur !

2012-05-27T09:08:15.331+02:00

Quelle horreur !

Hi you may find this article of interest. http://w...

2012-05-26T09:14:38.274+02:00

Hi you may find this article of interest. http://web.sbe.hw.ac.uk/staffprofiles/bdgsa/11th_International_Conference_on_Urban_Drainage_CD/ICUD08/pdfs/194.pdf

Re heavy metals in water. C

Reminds me of NL. All the narrow traditional canal...

2012-05-23T15:53:00.464+02:00

Reminds me of NL. All the narrow traditional canal houses in Rotterdam and Amsterdam have these pulley systems as the stairs are too narrow and steep to move goods [or furniture].

You wrote.... "This was defeated by 51 1/2 ye...

2012-05-22T20:45:21.324+02:00

You wrote....
"This was defeated by 51 1/2 years of common sense overcoming the urge to be a hero:".... and the recently revived memory of leaping off a ferry with your arm in plaster. perhaps?

Wow. That's a long drive for you and Celestine...

2012-05-22T12:46:56.420+02:00

Wow. That's a long drive for you and Celestine.

chm - it wasn't warm this year, either - sunny...

2012-05-22T07:41:40.506+02:00

chm - it wasn't warm this year, either - sunny, but too cold for shorts (which I was wearing)

Jean - one day...

Wish we could have been there .... maybe one day w...

2012-05-21T17:17:17.430+02:00

Wish we could have been there .... maybe one day we'll be in France at the right time, or better still, all the time !!

When Ken and I stopped there a few years back, pro...

2012-05-21T09:28:03.654+02:00

When Ken and I stopped there a few years back, probably on our way to see you, I was really surprised to learn the chateau belonged to the Fondation d’Auteuil. My father had some connection with the Orphelins-Apprentis d’Auteuil, as they were known at the time, to the point he gave them a painting by my grandfather.

That day at Verneuil-sur-Indre, the weather was lousy. Rather chilly

I recognise this one... it has flown by here on a ...

2012-05-20T16:50:05.881+02:00

I recognise this one... it has flown by here on a number of occasions... but never this close.

Dog lead?!?!? How very dare you madam! :) I doubt...

2012-05-20T08:20:09.509+02:00

Dog lead?!?!? How very dare you madam! :)

I doubt if being back at the hospital was the first thing my parents were lookng forward to, but at least the second cast meant I kept the sling on. It would have torn my arm off otherwise...

Tim: It's the pretty pink ones that can't ...

2012-05-20T07:48:09.328+02:00

Tim: It's the pretty pink ones that can't get laid. The frog's in velvet waistcoats have no trouble.

chm & Gaynor: thanks.

A really interesting post, Simon. I can imagine th...

2012-05-19T19:37:21.725+02:00

A really interesting post, Simon. I can imagine that your parents weren't very pleased to have to front up at the hospital again.

I think I spotted you on the ferry though. Are you the one on the dog lead?

It's an education to read your blog. I learn s...

2012-05-19T19:29:20.423+02:00

It's an education to read your blog. I learn something new almost every day. I just wish I could remember it!

Fantastic photos! WOW

2012-05-19T10:44:33.340+02:00

Fantastic photos! WOW