Personal Blogs

The tree is pretty among the flowers
They will compete to be the most beautiful
All spreading their colours
Even the ugliest has zeal !

The bouquet springs from the rock
The air kisses the light leaves
June laughs to see them in their Sunday best
The little people of the ferns.

We make the hay, soon the wheat.
The reaper sleeps under the young trees;
And all their  breaths are mixed
With the scent of fresh cut grass.

Who sings there? The Nightingale
The chrysalides are gone
The earthworm has taken flight
And threw off his garments into the nettles

The spider on the water makes circles;
O blue sky!  the shade is under the vine arbor,
the day trembles, and the gnats
come and whisper in your ear.

By Victor Hugo

The poem is entitled 'Laetitia Rerum'  meaning joyfulness of things (in Latin).

(I have translated this poem from french into english)

Today we took a picnic with us and sat by the reservoir. It was quite fresh and breezy here but warm too. There were no ducks or swans on the water today, like there is sometimes, but they may be some ducks on the  island or the far shore hiding near the bank. 

We had to walk through one wheat field to get here, the wheat has just been gathered in now this week, there is also a  wood quite nearby. I don't think we will go any further today, because it is too hot and it is so lovely just sitting here resting, paddling our feet in the water. 

However, I wouldn't put myself right into the water for a swim, because it is too deep and freezing cold in the middle,  so you will quickly have a heart attack!  Dangerous undercurrents too! That's why many young people have died this year.

It is pretty to just look around and see some wild life,  like the birds, butterflies, bees and the flowers. I brought my binoculars and camera just in case the swans turn up! If the weather stays fine, we might come back again tomorrow.

Skylark with Caterpillar Wikipedia

When out walking in the countryside, one can sometimes hear one of the most beautiful song birds ever,  If you are lucky, as they are fast disappearing.

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The skylark It is a bird of open farmland and heath, known for the song of the male, which is delivered in hovering flight from heights of 50 to 100 metres (160 to 330 ft). The sexes are alike. It is streaked greyish-brown above and on the breast and has a buff-white belly. Wikipedia

📚📖
I am reading another book in french entitled  'une livre de chanson française' by Bernard Minssen.
It is a collection of poems by various French authors including Victor Hugo, Verlaine, Maupassant, Béranger, Rimbaud amongst others. There is a short explanation of some of the vocabulary, at the back of the book in English, so this is helpful, although I still have to look up some unfamiliar words in the dictionary.

Translation

📚📖
Je suis en train de lire un autre livre en français intitulé            

'Un livre de chanson française'    par Bernard Minssen.
C'est un recueil de poèmes de divers auteurs français
dont Victor Hugo, Verlaine, Maupassant, Béranger, Rimbaud entre autres. Il y a une courte explication d'une partie du vocabulaire, à la fin du livre en anglais, donc c'est utile,
mais je dois encore chercher des mots inconnus dans le dictionnaire.

Source-Wikipedia

Sparrows

À Paris, les trois quarts des moineaux ont disparu en 15 ans. Le constat alarme écologistes et scientifiques. Londres, Amsterdam ou Hambourg connaissent le même scénario. Aujourd’hui, le mystère est entier, malgré les recherches des spécialistes. 
(France24)

3/4  of  Sparrow population in Paris have disappeared over 15years and scientists are trying to solve this unexplained mystery.

Ici, Ou j'habite, il y a beaucoup de moineux. Il font leur nids dans les  haies. 

This morning as I took my walk around my usual route, up to the park. I spotted a wagtail, I love these lovely little birds with their little wagging tails, black and white bodies and bright eyes. Unfortunately they always manage to fly off, but this time I caught a snapshot of one, waiting to cross the road!

This morning It was much cooler today than it was yesterday. I finished my french book Destins by Francois Mauriac. It was a very good book and I am glad I read it.  I will start another book again tomorrow, from my little collection of French books from the city charity shop.

This afternoon after reading, I went walking up to the park again, I did 2 laps around the park, only a few people (a family) was sitting in the middle of the playing field.

 I began walking at quite a brisk walking pace!  starting at the pavilion I usually go walking right around the perimeter, then finish up back  at the picnic area, beneath the trees. From here I left the park and I walked the footpath, towards Cemetery lane and past the Cemetery. I followed the path along past a farm that has some noisy clucking chickens, that were running around freely!

 I turned here and followed the footpath just a short one, through a wood, then carried straight on, walking through what is usually a lovely meadow of wild flowers. However, they didn't look very good today, but looked rather dry and wilted, as we have not had any significant rainfall here this year, only the odd shower, lasting only a few minutes. The weather has been dry and hot. I truly believe that this has been one of the hottest summers I have ever experienced in this country!

After crossing the meadow, I came to a footpath through the field, this leads to the reservoir or the lake as we (romantically) like to call it!! On the lake is a family of ducks and some moor hens. I walked the whole length of the lake. The water level had receded a bit, but there was still sufficient water in there. The crops are growing well and so far they haven't used the sprinklers on the field yet-  but they may change later? I walked one time around the lake. 

I like it here at this time of the year, when there are plenty of dragonflies and damsel flies to be seen flying around, also lots of birds in the hedgerows. They are eating the bramble berries and other fruits that have fallen down,  like the little plums and crab apples.  I saw a lark just hovering high overhead in the air, over the wheat field,  it was lovely to hear her singing loud and clearly.

 I continued walking back towards the barn, and to the footpath that leads back to the other side of park, on the abandoned footpath. The footpath has actually been cleared now and it was lovely and tidy to walk along.

This footpath leads around the park and back onto a a leafy lane of beautifuul fragrant Lime trees, they hang down very low over the path, so that you feel protected from the heat of the sun, there were plenty of bees on their flowers. A rabbit quickly scampered past, and hopped under a hedge,  Oops, I think I might  have disturbed him!   I then took the path past the nursing home and the short cut leading to the footpath at back of my house. I needed  a nice cup of tea after that walk!

A cooler day today.  I have been reading the rest of my current french book by Francois Mauriac 'Destins', it has been quite an interesting story and I managed to persist with it. The language was of very good quality and it was well written. The moral of the story was clear, and after much sadness, all went well in the end for those who were left behind.
The story of two young boys and how their lives had taken different paths. It is also about the people involved with looking after them, their family, friends and neighbours.

I  read my french novel 'Destins ' by Francois Mauriac.
I am sitting in the shade in my garden,  where there is a slight cool breeze,  it is not as hot as the heatwave of last week, but still very warm.

All around me, I can hear the sounds of people living their lives. It is fairly quiet at the nursing home behind us. During the pandemic a lot of people caught the Covid19 virus. Occasionally the care staff call out "goodbye"  to each other, as they go off after their shifts. 

On the right hand side, is a small allotment, then the church yard and  the vicarage.

To the left hand side of us lives an elderly gentleman very quietly moving about in his kitchen of his bungalow,  making himself a cup of tea. 

Next to him is a young family with children, who are playing in their paddling pool, so lots of loud splashing and happy laughter coming from their garden!

I decide to go with my young son  to the park because it is usually fairly quiet at this time of day. So I can sit and read my book in peace.  There are only a handful of children in the play area, as many families have already gone to the nearby beach. We have taken a small picnic basket with us to the park with a flask of tea as well as some cold drinks.

We have plenty of sandwiches with us,  cream cheese and salmon,  mushroom pâte and herb pâte,  and some salad sandwiches too. Little cubes of cheese which we eat with slices of apple. For the dessert,  it is a little pot of strawberries with a pot of fresh cream.

Now to find a perfect spot for our picnic. Just beneath a fragrant sweet smelling lime tree would be perfect, there we place a soft blanket on the ground. It is a lovely afternoon, sitting in the shade of the lime  trees, watching the birds flying down to pick up the crumbs, brightly coloured fluttering butterfles and beautiful bumblebees, they are visiting the wild flower area just behind us. 

After eating our picnic I open my book and  read another page,  as I sip my lemonade. Soon we will have to head off back home, but first we will have a long slow stroll around the park. What a great staycation we have had!

With the intense heat of the last few days,  and the heaviness of the foliage,  part of this tree has broken off into the cemetery.

Yet another sign of Climate change !

Finding all sorts of jobs to do in the garden, like watering flowers in pots,  but the flowers and grass all looking very dry!

Today with the help of my very kind neighbours,  we have managed to put up a bird station,  so that my son and I can sit in the garden and watch the visiting birds.

Hopefully we will be able to see lots of visiting birds passing through!