Yesterday afternoon the temperature climbed above 15ºC for the first time in weeks. I decided to go out for a long walk with Tasha between 4 and 5 o'clock. I took one of my old cameras with me — a Lumix ZS8/TZ18 that I bought in 2012 — just to see whether I still remembered how to use it. Here's the result.
I hadn't taken photos like these in a long time, partly because it's not easy to take colorful photos outdoors in wintertime.Here's a long view of our hamlet from out in the vineyard. It's not a great photo, but in it you can see our house.
It's the one with the dark brown roof, and that's our little white garden shed on the far left.
Despite early-morning temperatures slightly below or just slightly above freezing for the past couple of weeks,the wisteria on the west-facing back wall of our house is starting to bloom.
Tasha was happy enough to stop and pose for me when we got out toward the end of the vineyard road,about a kilometer from the house. Even in her current scruffy condition — the groomer's shop
is closed during the confinement — she's looking pretty good.
One flowering plant that doesn't seem to be deterred by the cold mornings is the local pissenlit or dandelion.The afternoon was warm enough that some bees had come out to fly around and visit what flowers they could find.
Meanwhile, in the green house, I have some kale plants that are finally starting to show signs of life.I planted them last summer, and they made it through the winter in a big pot outdoors.
I transplanted them into small pots and put them in the greenhouse about a month ago.
Now I'm optimistic that I might have a summertime kale crop.
Meanwhile, this winter (it doesn't actually feel like spring here yet) has been hard on local trees.Here's another one, an apple tree, that has mordu la poussière (bitten the dust).
One of the vineyard workers cut it down and cut it up a week or two ago.
It was a tree that produced some of the neighborhood's most delicious apples.
Is it my eyes or the first two and the last photos are a little fuzzy? This is an excellent portrait of Ms. Tasha. Sic transit gloria mundi, so do apple trees!
ReplyDeleteIt's your eyes! C'est le flou artistique. So much for how good Lumix cameras are...
DeleteThis TZ is excellent for close-ups, but not so much for long shots But, as you say, flou artistique! La photo de Tasha is especially good.
DeleteWhen you take full-zoom photos without a tripod, the risk is blurriness. You talk about your TZ camera as if you still have it and use it. It gave up the ghost years ago, didn't it?
DeleteIt's going to be really cold here, too -- 33°F, with snow showers! Nuts!
ReplyDeleteIs that really an expression in French, avoir mordu la poussière, or were you just being funny?
Of course it is.
DeleteCette expression date du 17e siècle. Elle fait référence aux combats de lutte qui avaient lieu sur le sable ou la terre Le perdant était celui qui était à terre : à l'image de notre expression, il était au plus près de la poussière.
Here's an interesting web page about the expression "bite the dust" in English. Maybe English borrowed it from French, but it might be an expression dating back to ancient Greece.
DeleteTrès intéressant l'origine de bite the dust.
DeleteThe first picture shows what a lovely, large property you have. And I always enjoy seeing beautiful Tasha. Have the new owners moved into the house across the road from you?
ReplyDeleteNo, the new owners across the road will arrive in June or July.
DeleteYou showed patience with the kale. Tasha is so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThe wisteria is on the west side of the house, so probably warmer there...afternoon sun and all. Love the picture of the pissenlit with the bumblebee! We were 90 degrees yesterday. Margarita weather.
ReplyDelete90 would be too hot for me, but I can tell you that the high 20s and low 30s are too cold, at least in April. French folk wisdom says the danger of frost isn't over until May 15 or so.
DeleteIs the passing of the trees a water issue?
ReplyDeleteSeveral extremely dry summers and the age of the trees too.
ReplyDelete