Better Life Stories: An Evening Stroll

In Search of the elusive Orchids that I have been told are all around the un-mown berms in the area and throughout France. There are apparently at least 50 native wild orchids in France!
I found one in the lawn upon our return to France and before I mowed it! Duh! I cannot even find a trace of the plant when I go looking, now.
Since then, I scour the berms everywhere in the hope that we will find another orchid. I thought to take my camera tonight...well, I should admit to stealing Waz's camera, as mine bit the dust the night before our container was due to arrive.
Tonight's stroll down the main road berms between the vines and the road yielded a coup. One problem...If we had come down this way even two days ago, we might have found this orchid in bloom. After so much rain in the last couple of weeks, it is no wonder that the blooms were trashed. I was very excited to have found this large two stem plant, nonetheless.
I dont include a scale for these little flowers, but lets estimate that each flower is less than the size of an American Penny. For those not familiar with those, lets say they are about 1 cm across/long, so they are fairly small.

The two stems were a complete surprise and I almost dismissed them as something else.

Being a lovely evening and having sat outside for dinner today, we thought to enjoy a stroll in the cool and last of the sunshine.
We actually put the umbrella up and enjoyed our lunch and afternoon tea out there on the terrace. We have music again (stereo), so afternoon tea was accompanied by Dire Straits, which brought back memories for me of the first time I heard them, in Paris, 1981:) But I digress...

Ok, I will go back to dinner, perhaps. Those lamb chops we bought last week were looking like they were going to hoof it out of the fridge, so time to B-B-Q them. The last of the cole slaw was also in dire need of eating, but I did want to make some Pommes Parmentier, as I had some perfect potatoes for it and some Gran Padano cheese, instead of Parmesan. I prefer the taste of the former, frankly.
A rub of walnut oil and salt for the ripe meat, and they were slapped onto the grill at high heat, sealing in the juices. Perfect! Waz is an expert grillsman. It did get a little chilly out there once the sun left the terrace, but it is lovely to have music while we eat, and we didnt really want to leave, but a walk was in the scheme of things.

Such a lovely evening! We stood on the terrace looking up at the huge number of bees we have coming and going from our chimney. It is a disused one and I think it used to be the Kitchen chimney, but now it goes nowhere and is otherwise sealed. We will consult a bee-keeper I think. Perhaps they can entice them to go somewhere else?

Down the road is a Cognac storage facility belonging to one of the main Domaine in this area, Frapin.

I have been intending to take photos of this glorious display of climbing roses since we returned, and now they are past their best. Too bad, you can imagine that they were 100% better than this?

The former house inside the gates. I note that the grape vine is well manicured, but we have no idea what this place is now. I wonder if it was a school at one stage? I must visit the Mairie to find out more of the history of this area.

Moving right along down the road, camera at the ready, interrupting the walk of course, but this is the first time I have remembered the camera and I did want to share our gorgeous views with you all.
Being 7pm, the light was nice and soft.
That little group of houses is in what is called a Lotissement (lot iss mong) or subdivision, just before the little town of Lignieres.

One of our neighboring homes attached to a barn/storage facility which is referred to here as a Dependence (day pon donce). Homes are advertised as being a 'Maison avec Dependence (s)'. Meaning there is a house and out-buildings or attached barn, etc.

A far view

We can just see the town of Barbezieux (Bar bez yer) on the hill in the distance. The tower is attached to the Chateau on the top of the hill, there. This is where we normally do our food shopping, having several supermarkets, all of which have good selections. It is only 11kms away.

There is a large forested area right next door to our house (well, next to our one neighbor) and we are free to walk in there and through the vines, as long as we dont destroy anyone else's property on the way. This is the same everywhere in France. Even though these lands are privately owned, the public can access them as long as there are no fences or signs prohibiting access.

Roadside wild geranium.

One of those nasty American weeds! We hardly ever find litter, but it usually consists of American brand fast food wrappers.

You cant beat Mother Nature's arrangements:)

I think you can see how hard it would be to identify an orchid in this mass of vegetation.

One of my favorite scenes is actually coming this way from up there on the forested hill. That big building on the left is the quintessential Cognac Chateau, surrounded by the vines and gently undulating hills. There is nowhere to park to take a photo, though. One day I will brave the traffic and stop on the hill and take the photo! It might be through the car window, however:)

Coquillecot (co keel ko) or poppy. These wild poppies are everywhere right now. Sometimes whole fields of red, and sometimes you see patches in the wheat or barley fields. They never cease to bring a smile. These are the poppies referred to in the poem 'On Flanders Fields'!
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/flanders-fields (Highlight the link and copy and past to your browser for the full poem.

In times gone by it was common to plant a rose bush at the end of each row of vines. Two reasons, according to many sources: If the rose shows signs of disease, then the viticulturalist has time to spray so that the vines dont contract it. Secondly, so that the plough horses (they plough the soil between rows) would take a wide berth when rounding the corner, not wanting to get the rose thorns in them, and lastly (I know, I said two...but I lied!) to make sure the horses or tractor didnt hit the guy wire or straining post at the end of the row. Take your pick.
These days you rarely see a rose bush at the ends of rows of vines, and this one below is the ONLY one we have seen in these parts. It is here for no apparent reason, as there are no others to be seen nearby.
Nowadays viticulturalists monitor satellite images of weather to warn them of unfavorable conditions that might affect their vines, and also the color of the vines as seen from space and you would think that if the rose is showing signs of disease, it will be way too late to stop it affecting the vines.

We see activity in the vine rows almost daily. If there isnt someone walking and pruning, there is a tractor spraying or trimming sides and tops, and then the mowers and the ploughs...no horses to be seen! it is very high tech these days. We marvel at the amount of equipment...some of it very strange looking, but clearly with a purpose... that passes our gate every day. Its also kind of fun to speculate what torture device it might be:)

These folks need to mow between their vines! tsk!

This is a common sight in these here parts. Tanks for cognac! It is a process...you can find out more here...
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Cognac.html
Again, highlight the link, copy and paste to your browser. It is worth knowing this!

The water tower on the right was the source of one of our afternoon quests. What, if anything, is there, said Waz?? It took us up hill and down dale and some pretty skinny roads to find out there is nothing else 'there', per se.lol.

Arent they lovely? dont know what they are, but they sure are decorative. Lots of them out, this evening, and lots of other orange and red bugs. We didnt touch!

Look at that lovely arrangement around the flower. It is almost woven. It looks like an Allium, but I cant be sure.

This is another Cognac Chateau and Dependences. The white things on the far right are plastic sleeves on the new vines. There is a constant process of regeneration going on, of course. We came across a field growing the new vine slips. They were literally stuck in the ground at 2 inch intervals. Funny, because we had just be speculating on how they grow their root stock, and voila!:) The answer was right there for us to see.

The roof of our house from down the road.
You can see our orange roof and white house from a long way off, sitting on top of it's hill.... I had to laugh out loud...I was giving someone directions to our house, and I said..."It's the white house with the orange tile roof"...but all the houses around here are white with orange tile roofs! Silly wench! No wonder they couldn't find us! lol

A closer look at that lovely Chateau up the road that I want to photograph from the other direction. The view is to die for! You will see.

Isnt it funny. I have seen this tower in the distance every day. Only just now when I enlarged the photo did I see that it is in fact an ancient one! lol

This stunning flower stalk is from the Dock plant. The evening light helps!

On the homeward leg....looking through the vines.

Cow slip?

There's that house again. Very photogenic!

I will watch these blackberries!!! I know where they are now:) I see some future dessert feasts at the side of the road.

One of the neighboring houses. This bell fascinates me. There appears to be no reason to have the bell outside this window, and so high of the ground.

Some of the neighboring buildings are very photogenic, dont you think? There are wells like this one everywhere. you are most fortunate to have a well on your property...Free Water!