theonlyD800inthehameau
Photography by theonlydeadheadinthehameau
The only good hornet…
Posted on October 7, 2021
Apologies to Cee, who I know doesn’t really like creepy-crawlies, but just this once I wanted to plead her indulgence.
This evil-looking b*****d is a hornet (‘frelon’ in French) and you don’t mess with them. Their sting is extremely painful and toxic and they are psychopathic about using it.
Swat one and they release a pheromone that summons the swarm. Do that outdoors and you’d better get inside and close the doors and windows pretty sharpish, because their mates will be round looking for revenge. Swat one indoors – well, just stay there.
At this time of year they are dying off (how sad; never mind) and this specimen was crawling on our doorframe one morning, barely alive and about to breathe its last. I wouldn’t have got so close with my smartphone otherwise.
Sorry again, Cee.
Raindrops on roses #3
Posted on September 2, 2021
A familiar subject and one I’ve ‘done’ a couple of times before.
This image is different to the others, but as I’ve said before, don’t expect whiskers on kittens any time soon.
The Heart Of The Sun(flower)
Posted on August 5, 2021
This year, Jean-Claude – who farms 40 hectares of land around here – has sunflowers as his principal crop. If you’re savvy to the back roads you can get pretty close to them.
A Pink Poker
Posted on July 21, 2021
This week’s Fun Foto (sic) Challenge has the theme of ‘Pink’. I really did try very hard to avoid the cliché of posting a straightforward picture of a flower of said hue.
Unfortunately I lack both the imagination or the depth of archive to avoid the floral world entirely. However, with some judicious cropping, framing and other editing I managed to produce this quasi-abstract image of the flower usually called ‘Red Hot Poker’ – although this one actually was pink.
It’s a seashell
Posted on July 8, 2021
Is it a cat?
Posted on July 3, 2021
Well, if it was it would be a very odd-looking one, but no: it is in fact a bottle-carrier. It lives in our kitchen and usually has a few empties in it.
The Snail
Posted on June 3, 2021
The Key
Posted on May 6, 2021
Our house, and its attached barns, are well over two hundred years old and appear to have been continuously occupied – or, at the very least, actively utilised – for that entire period. It’s hardly surprising, therefore, that every so often a n ancient and forgotten artefact turns up somewhere.
This old key is one of the latest to appear. If it hasn’t aged well it’s certainly rusted in a visually interesting manner.
Rainbow Wool
Posted on April 8, 2021
It’s macro/close-up week for Cee’s Midweek Challenge.
Madame has been knitting recently, using some multi-coloured wool.
Wisteria
Posted on March 4, 2021
For Cee’s midweek challenge this week, here’s a close look at some wisteria.
(Taken with my iPhone).
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