Wildlife Watching in the Val de la Claise Tourangelle in July

The hot pink spires of June foxgloves are replaced by shocking pink Purple Loosestrife growing in the roadside ditches. Every now and then, there will be a stand of pearl pink soapwort, pastel cousin of the crimson Carthusian Pinks of May.

Check out umbellifers (wild carrot and the like) or scabious (below)  - they will often have beetles such as this longhorn Stictoleptura cordigera visiting them.

The average maximum temperature in July is 26°C. It is the sunniest month on average, with 240 hours of sunshine.

Don't be tempted to mow over any brown remains of orchid spikes in your lawn yet. The seeds take a surprisingly long time to properly mature and you need to leave them another month at least.

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Lights Out: Tonight will be the first night of a new requirement for French businesses to ensure that the lights in non-residential buildings are out by 1am, or no more than 1 hour after the last employee has left. Hooray! no more passing office blocks and schools all lit up, with all the computer monitors flickering blue light. Many local authorities, Preuilly included, have already decided to turn off street lighting in the early morning rather than run all night -- saving money and benefitting the environment.

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In Our Kitchen Yesterday: Cheesy Olive Damper -- Simon made Ken's Cheesy Quick Bread Loaf recipe and added sliced black olives.

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Preuilly Pool: Contrary to the impression given by the notice pinned to the town hall board and at the entrance to the camp ground in Preuilly, Preuilly swimming pool is not open every day except Thursdays during the month of July. As Antoinette, Simon and I discovered this morning when we turned up ready to swim, it will open from 6 July (until 1 September) on that basis. The notice telling you this is stuck to the reception desk glass, so you have to peer through the (glass) main front door to see it. Sheesh! and they wonder why no one uses the excellent sports facilities the town provides...