Nell and I went for a walk this morning, taking the camera with us, whilst Mr L and Cat went to the vet in l’Isle Jourdain.
This is an image-intensive post. I have used medium sized images in the mosaic to keep the page load down, click through to see them larger if desired – then it will be possible to navigate directly to the next images in the larger size. From there you can go even bigger if necessary by clicking on the link for full-size.
Today’s route
We are blessed with an abundance of walking in our immediate area. We have a loop that we walk Nell on most days and it has several variations available for when we get bored of doing the same circuit. The main problem is that Nell is a Border Collie and she prefers to do the same route daily. She has her rituals and her expectations.
We began today’s walk by leaving from the back of the house and walking along the Rue de Centre to meet the D10. From there it is a short walk to the edge of the village and our left hand turn onto a now-unmaintained tarmac chemin.
I obsessed over these seed heads last winter. It has been interesting to see how they develop from the flower stage
Seen at close quarters they are quite stunning at this stage of development
The road is narrow and the tarmac surface is deteriorating. There are trees on either side with ditches and verges abundant in wildlife
Things are starting to appear a little Autumnal but it remains very mch high summer here
Continuing down the chemin we have reached the area where we found Dusty and his littermates at the side of the road
La Petite Ferriere lies to the left and we normally turn down this chemin but today we carried on to walk around Grand Ferriere.
Ruinous building just outside Grand Ferriere
At the village margin. Although we approach Grand Ferrier by somehting like two kilometres of unused country roads, the village actually lies alongside the Route Nationale N147 and from here we can hear the thundering HGV traffic
Grand Ferriere has some picturesque qualities
We pass a garden full of cottage garden flowers. The Cosmos and Scabious are still flowering
Seen large, this butterfly is showing off his curly proboscis. He has an orange patch that I don’t know what it is. A parasite?
I love the flowers and their shadows on the wall behind them
Everything is sere and brwon
A cottage in Grand Ferriere with roses at the door. That rose has bloomed brilliantly and continuously since April
Nell the photobomber
We are soon out of the village, it is very small, and back onto tree-lined chemin once more
I took the opportunity to practice some landscape shots
Almost round the extension loop now and walking along one side the lake that we pass daily on the adjoining side
Berries on the fence
So sorry that the wooded area by the lake is fenced and private
Meeting up with the path that we normally come down, then we will turn right and continue down the second side of the lake
A view of the lake. We normally pause here to admire the view and enjoy the peace and quiet
Another view of the lake. It is abundant with dragonflies and has both frogs and Coypu for Nell’s entertainment
Round the corner we find open fields. There is usually a deer hanging around here somewhere abouts
A bito f an uphill stretch now but it’s not much of a gradient.
We go left here and look for deer in the field to the right. You will notice nell’s absence, no photobombing this shot
Still no sign of Nell, nor any sign of the deer.
After the barking came a crashing and a young buck ran away across the field. I had trees in the way and no clear shot until he stopped at the far hedge, by which time he was really beyond my lens’s reach but he is there, if you look carefully and he is now growing a set of antlers.
Nell, concentrating as only a Border Collie can
It’s just a little pond but it is stuffed with bright green frogs. Water levels are currently very low and there is a danger that it will shortly be no more than a mud pool.
Nell wrenched away from the pond, we have walked tp the next junction and turned left again and are now approaching the tarmac chemin that we walked down earlier. Almost home now.
I took a few moments pause to photograph some of the Autumnal abundance
This tree is ready festooned for Christmas!
Nell likes to turn right here and go home via the local chemin but I had reason to want to walk back via the road to the village
and the village heaves into view
Main Street Maison Celle
A garden feature outside one of our French neighbour’s home, optimistically fenced against deer.
The house that stands at the junction of Rue Principale and Rue de Centre. I love it.
A few plants grow along the side of the house, including this tomato plant
Les Pintades are growing fast
An everlasting sweet pea in the garden adjacent to our home
The route
And thus we arrive home again, ready for a cup of tea. Would you like milk or lemon?
