Bombax

Bombax is a genus of large tropical trees, one of which, B. ceiba, is native to northern Australia. This one, with its impressive array of pointy protrusions on the trunk, was photographed in a picnic area in the Northern Territory of Australia.

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Au verger hier: I sprained my thumb trying to extract a volunteer cherry tree that has established itself on the edge of one of the fallow vegetable plots. Its main root is about 5cm thick and it's been there about 18 months. I think I'm going to have to poison it. It will take forever to dig out.

I have a Brown Hare Lepus europaeus (Fr. un Lièvre d'Europe) back in residence. As usual, it was invisible until I got to within about 10 metres, then it shot out of its form (nest in the long grass) and disappeared over the field beyond. It looked big and fluffy, in good condition. I was also joined by a twittering phalanx of Long-tailed Tits, moving from bush to tree searching for insects.

I picked some small broccoli heads for dinner and tidied up some prunings into neat piles to dry out and become next year's kindling.

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A la cuisine hier: Leftovers for lunch -- a casserole made from diced leftover roast guinea fowl, carrots and potatoes, mixed with a small box of bechamel and some green flageolet beans.

Dinner was bavette d'aloyau steak from the butchers with a slab of homemade foie gras on top, served with potatoes from the new rotisseried chicken stall at the market and our homegrown broccoli.

Gingernut biscuits, with good crunch and plenty of ginger.