What's left of the piney woods

I call this stand of conifers "the piney woods." It still is "piney," but all the deciduous trees have been removed. "Harvested" is probably is a better word. I first started walking in these woods with our dog, Collette, back in the early aughts when we moved here. Later I'd do the same walk with our next dog, Callie. We've had Tasha now for ten years but our visits to the piney woods have become fewer and farther apart. The woods got denser with brush and there are (were) fewer good paths through. But now they're wide open, beckoning for new exploration.

Yesterday's sunrise over the piney woods.

 

Five and dime

This is the Woolworth Building in lower Manhattan as seen from the World Trade Center's observation deck back in 1994.

Woolworth Building, New York City, May 1994.

 

Market day

I'm planning to go into town this morning for the weekly market at Saint-Aignan. I want some chicken sausages from the poultry vendor. Specifically, chipolata and merguez. Grilling season is upon us!

Albany, NY, prepares for its annual Tulip Festival. May 1994.

Nice try

We live under a relatively busy commercial air corridor. We see (and sometimes hear) jet liners and their vapor trails passing over in the sky above. In this case, they're coming from the north and flying south. Paris and Orly are to our north, so I suspect that many of these jets are coming from the Paris region. They might even be coming from places farther north like the UK and Scandinavia, others from North America even, all heading south toward the Mediterranean or Africa, and beyond! If the fates allow, I can sometimes identify a plane by using air traffic software. Very nerdy stuff, of course, but fun. This photo is not very good but, by zooming around, I can count at least six jets heading south.

Jets leaving vapor trails in the morning sky.

 

Low bridge!

If woodsy areas are not maintained, they remain in or revert to their wild state. Dead and dying trees fall and decompose. That's good for the critters, I expect.

If you walk through the tall grass, watch out for ticks!

I'm heading out with Tasha this morning. I haven't decided which way we'll go.

Fields in the flood plain

This is where we end up after walking down the hill from our hamlet toward the river. Fields, sometimes planted in winter wheat, other times planted in colza (also called canola in English). Outside the frame to the left is another field of similar size.

This may be colza, based on the yellow flowers that are starting to bloom.

As you know, we're waiting for our landscape contractor to show up. In addition to the annual trimming of the hedges, there was other work around the yard to be done. We approved and signed his estimate for that work back at the end of last summer. Since then, as they say, crickets. We're waiting still. I texted him once since to no avail. Yesterday, I texted him again. Just a few words: Vous m'avez oublié ? Have you forgotten me? Within fifteen minutes he replied: "No, no, I have not forgotten you." I still have no idea when, or if, he intends to do the work. Hope springs eternal.

Tasha Tuesday

This path is one that we used to take when walking with Callie and now with Tasha. It goes down past a vineyard parcel to our north, then down the hill toward the river. It's good exercise, but these days that means it's harder to do. No matter, I'd like to go that way once or twice a week as a change of pace and a mini-workout.

Tasha leads the way. It's steeper than it looks.

During my walk this morning (we didn't take this path) I noticed some weed trimming work that needs doing outside the hedges along the road. I should be able to get that done today.

Another view

Here's another view of the west forty (in the foreground) and the north forty (beyond the apple trees) from out near the garden gate. You can see the tall grass along the path's border wall. I weed wacked what remained of that yesterday. I also got the walk-behind mower out and tidied up a section of the south forty (to the right just out of this shot) where the riding mower can't go (because of shrubs and other obstacles).

Looking east along the garden path toward the house.

We enjoyed the warm spell we've been having. Now the temps are cooling down again. No freeze warnings are in the forecast so far. Let's hope Jacques Frost (perhaps more correctly Jacques Givre) stays away. 

The Disputed Lands

I stood in the den window to take this photo, looking out over the border between the north forty (background right) and the west forty (foreground left). The actual line is somewhere along the sawed off tree trunks that you can see in the foreground, maybe a little farther west. The apple trees (you can see one standing in the sun) are definitely in the west. 

The Disputed Lands. There used to be a few grape vines planted there.

 I got the weed eater (strimmer, débroussailleuse) out yesterday and worked on the tiny walls that separate the garden path from the grassy sections. The mower can't get close enough to cut it. I may do some more today. But, it being Sunday, I can only make noise between 10h00 and noon. That's plenty of time to do the work if the dew has dried up by then.

Logs Three

Another view of the logpile on the Artsy Organized Neighbor's property, adjacent to the vineyards. Nothing much to say.

The leaning wall and the bulwark.

I cut the west forty yesterday afternoon! The west forty is the biggest section of our property. The way the grass is growing right now, however, means that it won't be long until the whole yard needs cutting again. Weather permitting. In the meantime, it does look under control and like someone is taking care of it. 

Logs Two

This big pile of logs started to lean and it looked like it might fall over. Whoever owns/manages the piles (I think it's the Artsy Organized Neighbor) built up this barrier to reinforce the main pile and keep it standing. Sort of a log jam, if you will. Tasha will keep a watchful eye out.

Tasha inspects the bulwark.

I was somewhat productive yesterday afternoon and mowed the north and south forties of the yard. If things go right, I can get the west forty done today. Fingers crossed. 

Logs One

I took a walk though the Artsy Organized Neighbor's property yesterday morning. At least that's who I think owns this land and stocks old discarded road signs, building stone, and other curiosities among the trees. Right now he's been cutting younger trees along the edge of his land (where the vineyards start). He's also cleared a lot of brush from ground level and burned it. Things are looking neat and tidy.

One of the tractor paths and log piles on the AON's property.

We're enjoying a few days of "it could be worse" weather. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to get the mower out and get some cutting done between now and the weekend. This morning I'm planning a trip to the supermarket. Oh, what a glamorous life! 

No photo Wednesday

No, it's not a thing. Yet. It's hard to get motivated these days. There's nothing new going on. No subjects that haven't been done several times. We don't venture far from home. The weather has not been propitious for roaming around on foot or in the car. I've been reduced to watching the grass grow. So... NPW. Hopefully, something interesting will catch my eye soon.

Tasha Tuesday

Tasha hears a deer. We both heard the rustle of leaves on the edge of the nearby woods as an animal moved away from us. Then we heard the coarse bark of a roe deer. Tasha was very excited and ready to bolt toward the retreating deer, but she listened to me when I told her to "stop!" and "stay!" Then we continued on our walk.We heard the deer's bark a few more times as it moved away from us. Did you know that roe dear bark? That was one of the first things I learned while walking through the vineyard with our dog, Collette, back when we moved here in 2003. She loved to chase the deer, but we had to be very careful on hunt days that she wasn't mistaken for one.

Tasha's on deer alert.

I'm not enjoying the cool/cold wave that's currently upon us. It's not stopping the grass from growing, however. It's time to mow again.

Another look at the wysteria

I think the flowers are at their peak now. Here's another look at them. I have to keep the spring growth in check so that the plant doesn't take over again.

Wysteria on the west-facing wall.

The weather is cold again. I don't think it's as cold this morning as they predicted, though. Our outdoor thermometer reads about 8ºC at 07h00. That's not life threatening for the new growth in the vineyards around us. Still, it ain't warm. 

Undergrowth

All kinds of little (and not so little) plants grow beneath the canopy of the woodsy areas around us. It's nice to walk through on the paths that the wildlife (and some humans) make. We've seen deer, wild boar, badgers, and foxes to name a few of the critters out there. Tasha and I use some of the paths depending on the day and what we feel like.

Fresh growth in the woods.

Yesterday's market trip was successful. I got a bunch of white asparagus and loaded up on Asian egg rolls. I also stopped in at the produce store for some shelled nuts (pecans and walnuts), celery, and radishes.

Market day

I've got a shopping list and am ready to head out. Happy Saturday!

Someone's harvesting logs from deep in the ravine out back.

 

Watch that first step!

In spring, and then again in fall, the sun shines into the living room at just the right angle to make a distinctive shadow on the wall. It's an Eiffel Tower wire sculpture topped by a magnetized wire daredevil. The wire guy was a gift from a friend in California. I always thought he should hang out on the top of the tower. Oh, là là !

Wiry, isn't he?

With that, I must run. Tasha has an appointment to get her annual shots this morning. Chop chop! 

Dandelions among the grape vines

They're called pissenlit ("wet the bed," due to their diuretic properties) and dent-de-lion (lion's tooth) in French. I think the former is more commonly used than the latter. I may be wrong about that. At any rate, they're bloomín' all over, including in the vineyard parcels. They're also going to seed, as evidenced by the white "parachutes" in the photo. 

A few good breezes will help the dandelion seeds take flight.

Today should be another good one, according to the forecasts. After today, things are supposed to cool down some and there may be more rain. 

Ashes to ashes

This is one of the ash cones I've been talking about. You remember. An old vineyard parcel was dug up and the vine trunks were burned. This and another are all that's left.

An ash cone out in the dug-up vineyard parcel.

The weather was spectacular yesterday. The morning dew dried up before noon. We could actually sit out on the deck before evening. I got the mower out and cut the west forty. It feels good to make real progress. I'll try to do more of the same today. The weather should be the same today as yesterday: cloudless blue sky and warm air. The are many patches in the yard that the rider mower can't reach, so they have to be cut by hand. I have a self-propelled walk-behind mower for that. 

Glycine

Wisteria, in English. I did serious surgery on this one a couple of years ago. Nothing but the vertical trunk remained. I think that these are the first flowers that have bloomed since then. I wasn't expecting any at all. I fact, I was going to cut the trunk at ground level. I'm glad I didn't.

We're going to get to work on weeding the gravel path.

We're expecting a high temperature of 24ºC (about 75ºF) this afternoon. I'm planning to cut more grass!

Piles of trunks

This is one of the piles of grape trunks that was dug up over the past couple of weeks. When the digging was done, they set them on fire. Now there are two neat cones of ashes out there. At least, there were the last time Tasha and I walked by.

A pile of trunks before the fire.

Today is a holiday in France (Easter Monday), so it should be a quiet day. We'll be having leftovers for lunch. I may get out and do a chore or two that don't involve motorized tools. The weather is supposed to remain clear and warm for the next few days. Yahoo! 

White asparagus

You've seen it here before. It's a specialty of our region (also down near Bordeaux). It's the same plant as green asparagus, the difference being that green asparagus are allowed to see sunlight while they grown. White asparagus are kept in the dark (buried in soil) until they're harvested. These went into one of our favorite seasonal dishes: asparagus tart with ham and a cheesy egg custard.

White asparagus, peeled (you must), trimmed, and ready to be steamed.

As today is Easter Sunday, there will be no grass cutting. In our town, domestic noise is only permitted between the hours of 10h00 and Noon on Sundays and holidays (Easter Monday is a holiday). Most people don't bother, so it's a quiet day. Yesterday I got another swath of our yard cut. I'll pick it up again next week, depending on the weather.

By the way, we're not having asparagus today. And we're skipping our traditional rabbit meal in favor of a blanquette de veau, a veal stew in white cream sauce. 

Upstate

There's a lot of beautiful countryside in upstate New York. This is part of the Schoharie Valley, not far from where I grew up. 

I'm glad I don't have to cut that grass. Schoharie Valley, Spring 1994.

I took the rider lawnmower out yesterday for the first time this season. I reinstalled the battery (which turned out to be easier than I expected) and, to my happy surprise, it started up! I began to cut some of the grass in the north forty, but it was too wet and I had to stop. It should be dryer today, so I'll give it another go later.

Memories

For lack of new photos, here's another from the NYC World Trade Center collection, May 1994. I'm amazed at how the skyline has changed over the years. I don't know the City very well, but I can pick out (in this photo) the Empire State Building and what was then known as Citicorp Center (now Citigroup Center) in Midtown.

Looking upstream (Hudson River) from lower Manhattan, May 1994.

The weather gurus tell us that some warming, however short lived, is coming, along with a little less rain. We shall see. 

Second try

Here's another attempt to capture the tiny new leaves on the grape vines out back. They become more visible each day. I'm sure the growers are keeping their fingers crossed that there are no freezes over the next few weeks. 

These aren't the chardonnay vines. I don't know what they are.

In domestic news, I've got to go to the pharmacy to refill prescriptions. Tasha goes to the vet for her annual vaccinations next week. I picked up fallen branches in the back yard yesterday. They're from the tilleul (linden tree). Now, if we could get some dry days, I could cut the grass.

Poisson d'avril

Here we are on the first of April! But we're still suffering a stubborn spring. It's so not spring-like that I typed March instead of April. Turns out, I'm the April Fool. Even Tasha was saying, "Huh?"

Blurry grape leaves. The camera focused on the wrong stuff.

There's a section of a vineyard parcel just to our north that is planted in chardonnay. I believe the grapes are used for blending in the winery's sparkling wines. Imagine my surprise when, while walking over there last evening, I noticed that many of the vines already have leaves! Better pictures soon. Happy March April! 

Just so you know: I had two ideas for a post this morning. As I worked on them they sort of merged. When I tried to separate them, this is some of what I got. What a mess.