On the day after Christmas here in Saint-Aignan, the sun suddenly broke through the fog and clouds. It was unbelievable. I went out with the dog and my camera in the afternoon. I had forgotten how low in the sky the sun could be at that hour. It was blinding if I looked west. If I looked toward the east I and the camera could see, and you can see in the photo above how long a shadow I cast. You can also see how much mud and muck there is where old vines have been ripped out of the ground and either burned or hauled away. Overall the vineyard that used to feel like a beautiful park now feels like a construction zone (
un chantier in French).
Not only have people been digging things up around here, but some animal or animals are digging up our neighbors' yards. We suspect wild boars (
des sangliers) because Walt saw a small herd (
un troupeau or
une compagnie) of boars out in the vineyard a week or two ago. He said there were eight or ten of them, some adults and some just young'uns. There's not much difference between wild boars and feral pigs (I mean pigs that have been released or have escaped from farms). We've cooked and eaten both, and the meat tastes about the same. I read the other day that a pig that has returned to the wild will grow tusks pretty quickly and become aggressive. Pigs and boars eat small animals, bigger animals that have been wounded, and animal carcasses, as well as frogs, lizards, snakes, and insects. Maybe they are digging up our neighbors' land searching for food like moles or voles.
On the day after Christmas here in Saint-Aignan, the sun suddenly broke through the fog and clouds. It was unbelievable. I went out with the dog and my camera in the afternoon. I had forgotten how low in the sky the sun could be at that hour. It was blinding if I looked west. If I looked toward the east I and the camera could see, and you can see in the photo above how long a shadow I cast. You can also see how much mud and muck there is where old vines have been ripped out of the ground and either burned or hauled away. Overall the vineyard that used to feel like a beautiful park now feels like a construction zone (un chantier in French).
Not only have people been digging things up around here, but some animal or animals are digging up our neighbors' yards. We suspect wild boars (des sangliers) because Walt saw a small herd (un troupeau or une compagnie) of boars out in the vineyard a week or two ago. He said there were eight or ten of them, some adults and some just young'uns. There's not much difference between wild boars and feral pigs (I mean pigs that have been released or have escaped from farms). We've cooked and eaten both, and the meat tastes about the same. I read the other day that a pig that has returned to the wild will grow tusks pretty quickly and become aggressive. Pigs and boars eat small animals, bigger animals that have been wounded, and animal carcasses, as well as frogs, lizards, snakes, and insects. Maybe they are digging up our neighbors' land searching for food like moles or voles.
Wow, that is wild that pigs will grow tusks if back in the wild!? I had no idea that tusks were a natural thing for pigs, though I knew that boars have them. Eww!
ReplyDeleteSo nice that you have some sunshine! Hopefully a reflection of the year to come. I wonder if deer dig holes? Although they're just plant eaters, I think. I googled the pig thing and you are quite right about them reverting in the wild.
ReplyDeleteI hope you will see lots of sunshine soon.
ReplyDelete