theonlyD800inthehameau
Photography by theonlydeadheadinthehameau
Cellpic Sunday: The Uninvited Guest
Posted on January 28, 2024
As I’ve mentioned on many occasions, out here in the sticks we are surrounded by sheep. They easily outnumber the human population, not only of our commune but all those for miles around.
The nearest sheep to our house are actually just across the road – a small flock of about a dozen that belong to our neighbour. This ewe must have been feeling particularly adventurous, because it somehow slipped through the gate or over the fence (or under – they can be quite enterprising sometimes, although mostly they’re just terminally thick) and came trotting down the side of our house. She cropped some grass and then turned round and went back home.
Cellpic Sunday: A Little Job For You…
Posted on January 14, 2024
Last week, we needed to top up our supply of logs for the woodburning stoves, so we got in touch with our friendly local farmer, J-C. As usual, we sent him an SMS and he turned up at our back door (he’s not big on technology – apart from farming equipment).
The very next day he rocked up with this delivery: two cords worth of dry logs, cut to our exacting 25cm lengths. If you’re wondering what two cords is, it’s about six cubic metres, and if you’re wondering what that equates to, it’s something comfortably north of 2,000 individual pieces, which all have to be neatly (-ish, in my case) stacked under cover.
About an hour after he dropped these off, it started to snow and the temperature was -6 Centigrade, but I made a start, and I’m still plugging away at them (I’m not as young as I used to be).
Lens-Artists Challenge – Magical
Posted on December 12, 2023
This is a view of the pond that lies in the middle of our little hamlet. By the way, the reflection is at the top of the image. And that’s magic.
Mind the sheep
Posted on November 17, 2023
The back road up through Chansigaud can be a handy short cut sometimes, depending on where we’re off to. Sometimes, though, the best-laid plans can be thwarted if the local farmer happens to be moving one of his flocks to a new pasture at the same time…
The street market
Posted on October 27, 2023
Our local village traditionally holds a ‘vide grenier’ (literally ’empty the barn’ – in other words a car boot or yard sale) on the first Sunday in October.
In past years this has been held on a patch of grass known as ‘Le Camping’, although nobody’s ever actually camped there. Given the time of year, this has often been churned up into a quagmire and it has rained throughout..
More recently, though, the practice has been to close off the main street and hold it ‘en bourg’. This year, the weather was kind and there was a big turnout. Still mostly tat on sale, though.
And yes, there’s a beer tent.
Under occupation
Posted on June 27, 2023
As you will undoubtedly be aware, France was occupied by Nazi Germany for much of the Second World War.
We discovered this coin, struck from cheap base metal, while digging over some ground to establish a potager (vegetable patch). It dates from that period and displays the symbols of fascism – the fasces (bundles of sticks) and the double-headed axe.
Posted for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, which calls for an image of the front of any one item. Next week Cee will be looking for images of the back of any item. Any guesses?
Stretching Away….
Posted on May 12, 2023
Although the local sheep market is a relatively small affair, it’s still possible to get a perspective of the sheep pens disappearing into the distance.
The Sheep Market
Posted on May 1, 2023
All-Day Ovine Buffet
Posted on April 2, 2023
The commune in which we live consists mostly of agricultural land, principally for pasture and mainly for sheep. This particular field is adjacent to the village recycling point.
Sunflowers
Posted on February 8, 2023
Like arable farmers everywhere, the locals practice crop rotation. A couple of years ago our friend Jean-Claude gave over one of his fields to cultivating sunflowers.
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