theonlyD800inthehameau
Photography by theonlydeadheadinthehameau
Chicken Run
Posted on March 25, 2021
Cee’s CMMC Challenge this week is looking for a subject that contains either ‘Ch’ or ‘ck’ in the title.
The obvious answer, ticking both boxes, is ‘chicken’, so here’s a photograph taken at the annual Christmas Fair in the nearby village of Blond. The USP of this particular event is – or was, at any rate before Covid-19 (and a prior outbreak of Avian ‘Flu) the racing chickens.
Actually, the whole event is called the ‘Foire Aux Chapons’ – the Capon Fair. Capons are sterilised male chickens; they tend to be larger (and probably grumpier) than ordinary ones and a group of them is raced, if that’s the word (‘ushered’ is probably more like it), down the main street, amid scenes of overwhelming excitement. It’s like nothing so much as curling, but with poultry.
This is the aftermath of the race, as the runners and riders, so to speak, are ushered into their coop.
The wide blue yonder
Posted on July 22, 2020
A stunt aeroplane goes through its aerobatic paces at the annual (but not this year, obviously) Estevol air show at Blond.
Monday Window: Blond
Posted on May 11, 2020
Any village around here worth its salt has a medieval church, but the one at Blond – which, unusually, is fortified – is one of the more impressive. Note the thickness of the walls.
#MondayWindow 11 May 2020
K is for kite
Posted on February 19, 2020
Something involving the letter K is Cee’s Fun Foto prompt for this week, so here is a very large kite that was flying at the annual ‘Estevol’ airshow last summer.
Box Kite
Posted on July 26, 2019
Cee’s theme for her Black & White Challenge this week is ‘anything that flies’.
That would certainly include this elaborate box kite, seen at the annual ‘Estevol’ air show at nearby Blond.
Thursday Doors: Blond revisited
Posted on April 25, 2019
Last weekend we went to a ‘brocante’ (an antiques fair, although in reality it’s more like a car-boot sale with ideas above its station) in the nearby village of Blond. There wasn’t a great deal of interest on the stalls, but I did spot a few more doors that I had missed on previous forays.
This first one is nice enough…
…although the one right next to it is far more interesting:
It’s quite common to see matching doors and shutters on houses in rural France, although usually in rather brighter colours than in this instance:
At this time of year wisteria is flowering everywhere, which provides an attractive counterpoint to many photographic subjects. Even gates…
…and unkempt shutters:
Thursday Doors 25 April 2019
Not your average windsock
Posted on January 30, 2019
For this week’s Fun ‘Foto’ Challenge, Cee wants to see at least four colours of the rainbow. This windsock with a full rainbow of colours was seen at the annual Air Show at nearby Blond.
Thursday Doors: Blond (2)
Posted on January 3, 2019
Back from the holiday break with a second selection of doors from the nearby village of Blond.
These first two are actually in the same bâtiment, but I think deserve separate consideration:
This next door perhaps isn’t so interesting in itself, but I’ve never seen a building with so many pinions holding it together. We have one, which prevents our front wall falling off, but this….
And then there’s this. Note how the lintel on the smaller door is not the original:
The final contribution from Blond. I’m assuming that this is unoccupied, but you can’t always be sure:
Thursday Doors 3 January 2019
Thursday Doors: Blond
Posted on December 13, 2018
Blond is another one of those picturesque villages within a half-hour’s drive from here at Tranquility Base. It’s big USP is the annual Capon Fair, which took place last Sunday. The weather wasn’t great, so there were by no means as many stalls as in previous years. On the positive side, that left more gaps through which to spot some interesting doors.
The church, which is fortified, is always visible, however:
…although this side door wouldn’t stand up to much of a battering:
Just behind the church is this little stone edifice, which seems to be standing guard over a stream that’s only about a foot wide:
This is one of the doors usually obscured by market stalls:
The garage looks bigger than the rest of the house:
Artistically, this decrepit little door juxtaposes well with the stagnant green pool in front of it:
Thursday Doors 13 December 2018
Mundane? Arrows
Posted on January 10, 2017
At the annual summer air show at nearby Blond, it’s possible to try your hand at archery.
Mundane Mondays
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