Intermission

Last night, at midnight, French law declares a moritorium on political debate in the media. No ads, no reporting, no news articles. The campaign is over. The official campaign platform information packet is in the hands of each voter. A day to reflect....
Today was the hottest day of the year so far. It got up to almost 85 degrees farenheit here. Too hot too soon for me. I looked out the window this after noon and decided to take JJ for a long walk in the forest ands check out to see if the warm temperatures had prompted any of the orchid locaion I have been tracking to start early. I spent a few hours getting ready for an art show I'm going to be in tomorrow and weeding the strawberry plants in the garden and it was too hot. I was going to go biking, but JJ has had a hard week recovering from his encounter with a wasp nest. His nose looks much better!
So we took off for the forest down the road.
In the forest, it was a few degrees cooler and the dog was chasing smells and digging holes and I heard a cuckoo not very far away. I have never actually seen a cuckoo but I know about their habits and I could identify one from the bird books I have.

The cuckoo seemed pretty close, so I tried an experiment, after he finished his 6 cuckoos calls, I immediately answered him by repeating 6 cuckoo calls as best as I could. About 30 seconds later, much closer, the cuckoo started to repeat his calls, this went on a few times, me mimicking the cuckoo and each time the calls were nearer, until I heard iin the tall oak above me the flapping of wings and a muttering squawk that was very muuch what I would expect a cartoon version of an annoyed cuckoo to make. I looked straight up and there he was. He was about the size of a large pigeon but sleeker in build and grey with white markings. He started his calls and one last time I echoed him, which must have really annoyed him because the cartoon skwawks started up again and he loudly let loose his cuckoo song.....

We walked on down to the little creek where I thought I might find orchids, I found plants in the grass, but they weren't in flower yet. I did find a patch of solomons seal, which were delicately opening their first flowers. I also saw a lot of eucalyptus.

on the hill going up on the ridge across the valley from our house. In the picture, our house is just visible on the horizon.
We walked around the ridge and under an electric cow wire...very carefully, I've given myself electro-shock treatments on a few occasions! The finally home again where I took this picture of columbines in full bloom in the garden.

So a quiet evening, early night because we have to get up early tomorrow. Janet will go to the new mayors office in Badefols d'Ans and cast her vote. It should be quite a scene, all 850 Badefollois will show up, hang out, gossip, stand in line, go into a booth, select a ballot, then put the ballot in the glass voting box and the mayor will say loudly, "A Votez"!
We will find out who won at 9 pm....