Battle in the veggie patch- round 1 rabbits 2 me 0

Living in the country we share with the local wildlife at times can be a little bit of a pain, It's lovely to know and see deer, wild boar and the odd fox are around and the balance of a bit of a field being rooted up (the boar) or a chicken being killed (the fox) we can live with but when changes of everyone living in harmony arrive it does sometimes feel like a battle. Having many buzzards around these parts kept down the rabbit and mouse population, until the crows arrived and the buzzards left. The rabbits bred (like rabbits) and now they can be seen everywhere around the farm. The odd buzzard has returned but doesn't seem to be eating many rabbits.

They are cute with their twitchy nose and the way they clean their ears makes them enduring, we still (miss F and I) say ah, look at they little bunny but not anymore after today's findings. I now know how Mr Mc Gregor felt when Peter and Benjamin visited his vegetable garden for they have visited mine ( and probably will be visiting tonight). Evidence of a little hole being dug here and there I can put up with but when they start digging up the potatoes and then throw them out of the hole they are going one step to far.

This afternoon while planting the runner beans I found my poor tomatoes had been attacked. Four have been nibbled with their stems broken off with one being turfed out of the ground, a few have also been chewed which I'm hoping will be able to survive their vicious attack. I had a few spares to re plant which were going in the poly tunnel (for a comparison to see which grew / tasted best so will have to re stock for that test).

I have put a square of rabbit repellent pellets all around with the instruction (if I understand correctly, perhaps not?) of opening both ends of the tube and leaving it in the area that has been protected in the hope that the rabbits will see the container and be repelled. They aren't harmful unlike an air rifle, which may have to be an option if we are to eat our five a day this year as I don't fancy the Atkins diet everyday.

The first photo isn't rabbit holes but large mice (i think) they may not of been large mice to start with, probably normal size mice but seeing as nearly all my peas I replanted have been eaten I think they may be the culprits. Apparently I need to soak them in paraffin, the peas not the mice to stop them from being eaten, the peas not the mice but maybe if i soak the mice that might stop them from eating the peas?

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2ENJ093 - FRANKLIN

Eight years ago today Franklin came into our family, a rescue dog from the SPA in Rodez we drove to see if they had a dog to re home. He had been there a month after being left tied to a bin in the town centre, chosen because he didn't bark, he came to us to say hello and was completely different from the dog we had lost days before Christmas. 120 Euros he cost, a young boy still a pup, very thin but with a look of take me home please. A collar put round his neck, forms completed, cheque handed over and a kiss from the manager and he was ours. Five minutes down the road in the car he threw up. Five minutes in the house and he had weed up the settee and collected an assortment of treasures including socks, toilet roll inner tubes, tissues and soft toys all placed in a pile under the table and garded. He ate at an amazing speed, fearing he would loose it to our other dogs. Then he started to bark, he has a fine bark on him. He barks for his tea, when a visitor arrives, the

Parisot lake

As it is a holiday today here in France (Bastille Day) we took the afternoon off an popped over to Parisot lake for a walk with Sorrel. It has all changed, since the lake was emptied and cleaned up this year you can now swim in it, as well as inflatable toys to play on, a life guard, bikes to hire, a new fenced in play area for small people and a total spruce up. But there is a price we were charged! 3 euros an adult, which I guess is OK if you are using the facilities but Sorrel didn't fancy a dip. The cafe is still open but that would of been too much for Sorrel to cope with being so close to people and music so we opted for a bench to sit on in the shade before walking around the lake. Sorrel opted for being Billy no mates and laying by herself, if be it for a short period of time before bikes and people went by. We are now waiting for the free firework celebrations over the chateau tonight - if we can stay up that late.😃

Lavender

One plant that does grow well around the gites and garden and that I don't seem to be able to kill is lavender. In the summer the bushes are swarming with bees, hummingbird moths, butterflies and other flying insects, lot of holiday photos have been taken by keen photographers, some setting up chairs and waiting for ages with big cameras and lenses waiting for the right moment and right insect to land. It does give a lovely show and smell as well, its picked and placed in vases in the gites by guests. Its very tactile and difficult to pass without a rub of a flower that's if you like the smell. I think its very much like marmite you either love it or hate it, a smell of memories of grans and old aunts who use to get given Yardley's old lavender smellies for presents. I like the smell but it can be quiet overpowering, especially when this year I have finally been able to save the dried flowers. Previous years other things have got in the way and its bee

The English Paysanne

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