10 April 2012

Dry, dry, dry... until today

Even though it's extremely dry right now, yesterday I noticed that the wild orchids have started blooming in at least two spots in the Renaudière vineyard. Evidently, these orchid plants like boggy, damp conditions, so I'm a little surprised to see so many of them blooming this spring.

Today we are supposed to have our first significant rain in a while. Of course, this is the day that we picked a couple of weeks ago for a long drive over to the Chinon area, a hundred kilometers west of Saint-Aignan, to have lunch with friends Jean and Nick in a restaurant in the village of Sazilly.

Little orchids like these come up all around
the vineyard in the spring.


If you can believe Météo France and France 2 television, it's going to rain all day. I recently bought some new windshield wiper blades, so I think I'll put them on the car before we leave. We really need the rain, and the plants and yard will be happy for the moisture.


The orchids are blooming despite the drought
conditions we've been under.


More about today's excursion later this week, though I might not be able to take many photos. At least I can try to take pictures of the restaurant food we'll be having for lunch.

9 comments:

  1. Enjoy your lunch and drive careful.

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  2. Oh well, I have to take it all back. Our trip to the Chinon area got cancelled, or at least postponed, at the last minute. Probably just a well, in light of the rainy weather. So far, though, the rain here is still a prediction.

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  3. I was about to write: "Have fun and give my regards to Jean and Nick" when I read that the party has been postponed. I hope we'll have better luck in June! Martine

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  4. It would have been a shame to have such a rainy day for a long drive. I hope the next time you schedule is better. Now, you can just enjoy the benefits of the rain :)

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  5. I think we are going to try to go tomorrow and meet J. and N. at the restaurant. We'll see. It's pouring rain right now.

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  6. Waiting for a better day sounds like a good idea to me.
    Glad for your rain.

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  7. It's raining in California today, too. :)

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  8. It is strange that these orchids are known as Pentecote when the reality is they flower closer to Easter and must always have done so (climate change and changes in calendars can't create that big a phenological change). I have a suspicion it was the Church renaming flowers associated with pagan rituals.

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