Flowering cherry

The annual show is on! There seem to be more flowers than usual this season. Probably something to do with all the water we got during the winter. Now it's time for things to dry out a little so we can work in the yard. Yesterday, I heard lawn mowers here and there. I'm not quite ready to take mine out. The ground feels too soft for that, but I may get to run the mower before the end of March.

Flowering (no fruit) cherry.

I'm liking the earlier sunrises. Tasha and I can get out for our walks before other folks are about, namely other dog walkers and vineyard workers (along with tractors and such). Speaking of which, it's time for me to go! Ta ta!

It's Boo-Kay

So insists Hyacinth Bucket in the popular British sit-com, "Keeping Up Appearances." This is all that's left of the jacinthes in this patch. There's a larger patch of white hyacinths way out back. I haven't really paid attention to them in a long while, but it's always nice to catch a glimpse of them this time of year.

Hyacinths among the daffodils. Looks like spring!

 Tasha gave us a bit of a scare. A few weeks ago she started drinking a lot of water, more than seems normal or healthy. We talked to some friends and consulted the gurus of the internet. Her excessive drinking could be an indicator of diabetes. Yikes! Yesterday she saw the vet and a simple blood test ruled that out. Thank goodness. The vet thinks it might be a U.T.I. (urinary tract infection) and is testing for that. Meanwhile, Tasha's on a brief run of antibiotics. She's already more or less back to normal and we're happy about that. We'll get the test results in a few days.

Daffodils again?

I know you've seen these before, but what the heck. You can't have too many daffodils. Can you? This is the same patch of jonquils that Ken and I have been posting this past week or so.

These grow just outside of the greenhouse. I don't know if they'll get dug up with the landscape work or not. We shall see.

We're still waiting for the landscape guy to get to us. It's been a lousy winter for outdoor work and I'm sure his schedule is all messed up because of it. I just have to be patient and wait for him to show up. Meanwhile, there are a few little things that I can do to prepare. 

Early bloomer

Can you see the tree covered in white blossoms? That's the plum tree that Ken planted from a pit oh so many years ago. It's in the far corner of the yard and it's one of the early blooming trees in the neighborhood. Our next door neighbor also has one. Hers is older than ours and is much taller.

Ken's plum is among the early bloomers in our hamlet.

It's Ken's birthday month and we're planning a yummy meal for him. It's bœuf à la Bourguignonne (Burgundy style beef stew, also called Beef Burgundy). He went to the butcher shop yesterday and ordered some joues de bœuf (beef cheeks) for the dish. I'm sure there will be photos. Stay tuned!

Running late

We were invited over the road last evening for drinks and got back a little late. I got up this morning a little later than usual and haven't yet done a post for the day. And it's my morning to walk with Tasha. This will have to do until I get outside with the camera. Happy Saturday! And the last day of February!

Tasha's photobomb

I was crouching down to take pictures of the daffodils. Maybe she thought I had some treats in my pocket. I didn't.

Tasha's ready for her close up!

Trees are in bloom all over the neighborhood. I'll have to take some photos the next time I'm out and about. 

It's not spring yet

Wednesday felt like a mild spring day, even if we're still just under a month from the equinox. Toward the end of the week, the weather gurus have predicted another drop in temperatures back into the single digits, celsius of course. As I've said, snow in March is not unheard of where we live.

They resemble columns and arches inside a gothic cathedral. I wonder how old these trees are.

But enough about the weather! This is a typical sight in France and other parts of Europe: pollarded trees. Pollarding refers to the style of severe pruning that you see here. These are planted on the quay along the river in Saint-Aignan. There are more lining the street that heads out of town toward the south.