Monday, April 30, 2012

Osprey Breakfast


Sorry to have been gone so long!  I have enjoyed catching up with your photos.  This is from last week, one morning out at the Lake.  I saw this guy zoom into the trees and was fortunate to see where he landed.  He did keep an eye on me, so I didn't get in too close.  Soon he/she will be feeding the hatchlings!  I feel an urge to get the kayaks out!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

La Violette


This one is for the Corn Tiger. We were video chatting the other day and I talked about the great olives here in France (he loves all pickles and has been known to drink the "juice" out of the caper bottle). Then I went on to talk about other things he will like when he comes to visit me here and he said "More olives, Nana."  I mean, who wouldn't be transfixed by the idea of purple olives?

Friday, April 27, 2012

Électrique Jaune (Electric Yellow)



Les champs de colza électrifier le paysage.
Fields of rape electrify the countryside.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) was bred by scientists in Canada to produce a variation, canola, from which we now get canola oil (or huile de colza in French).  The name "canola" was derived from "Canadian oil, low acid".  (adapted from Wikipedia entry on Canola).

Interesting fact, non?  A close cousin to the field mustard (Brassica campestris L. or Brassica Rapa var.) which grows all over the vineyards in northern California, only here it is a cultivated crop. Mais bien sûr, il est «cultivé» c'est la France, n'est-ce pas? (But of course it is "cultivated" this is France, is it not?)

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Vide Grenier


A slice of the vide grenier life on Sunday, April 22 -- also voting day for France.  
It was a good vide grenier day.  The gentlemen of a certain age were likin' me.
One dropped his price 3€ without me having to get tough, another gave me three booklets on historical sites as a gift, another threw in a free poster picture that I've been lusting after for the Corn Tiger.
Bisous all around!
N2

Friday, April 20, 2012

Seedlings


Lettuce starts, 15 Euro cents a plug, that would be 90 cents/~$1.17 a six pack in American terms. These were in Germany. Can't wait to go to the market in Revel tomorrow and get some to plug into my mini-potager on the alley here on rue Ferlus.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Fusion Cuisine

German bread and French butter, a match made in heaven.