Thursday, November 9, 2023

Sunday, November 5, 2023

blown away, twice

 

In recent months I would look forward to seeing the growth of these fungi during my daily walks around the Ile d'Or.  The biggest were over a foot (30 cm) wide.  They just blew me away with their numbers and size on the same tree.  Well, that came to a crashing end this weekend as high winds blew down the tree and all its sidekicks with it. It was sad to see.

Monday, August 14, 2023

August surprise


In the rainy fall it's not surprising to get a basket full of mushrooms from our neighbor who knows well the forest of Amboise. But in August ?! Shows just how much wetter this summer has been than last, when we had a serious drought. 


Saturday, July 15, 2023

quatorze juillet 2023

 


To see past years' fireworks click on the "fireworks" label at right.

Monday, May 29, 2023

the flower parade

 


It is a long weekend in France (Pentecost) and in Amboise flower festooned vehicles, people, and animals paraded over the bridge to the Ile d'Or.

Sunday, March 5, 2023

March marché

 


The tops of the vendors' trucks of the Sunday marché are just visible behind the levee that protects Amboise from flooding by the Loire.  The post title is an etymologist's playground.  The English word March is the 3rd month of the year.  Uncapitalized, it means to walk in a military manner.  The French word marché is market in English.  It also derives from the verb marcher (pronounced the same) that means to walk in English.  Don't get me started on the word levee.

Monday, November 28, 2022

Friday, November 11, 2022

breakfast of champignons

 


(champignons is French for mushrooms)  I'm still searching for the baconrooms.

Thursday, August 18, 2022

the drought of 2022

 


As with the entire world, we too are suffering from the results of climate change.  We are having one of the hottest and driest Augusts ever.  This photo is underneath the bridge over the Loire river.  Normally, there would be water flowing through this section closest to the shore.  Other sections still have a trickle of water but you'd be hard pressed to pass through in a small boat or even a canoe. Businesses and private residences are under water use restrictions.  Agriculture, including the wine making industry, is taking a huge hit.  Fortunately, our region has not yet been hit with fires as have other regions in France. 

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

summer surprise


A few weeks ago, a neighbor brought over a big basket of mushrooms that he had harvested from the local forest of Amboise.  Had it been fall, it would not have been a surprise.  However, given our current drought situation, I don't expect we'll see any more until the fall. If then.