Rainy, warm November drawing to a close

Not only azaleas are blooming, but camellias too. For the second time, we had camellias on the table for Thanksgiving. But this year we took no photos for the meal. Too bad, because it was a pretty table.

We've just noticed that Google Maps has updated its photos of our area, and the resolution seems to be much better. If you look at the satellite image our village, as you zoom in you'll see the very white (metal) roof on a barn next door. You can see the kitchen porch that Ed roofed with leftover clay tiles and our new gravel terrace. The willow (at the bottom left below) is leafing out already, but not the lime or the flowering cherry, so it must in in early spring this year. Our pergola, which was damaged in a windstorm last fall, must still be put away. You can see our little car parked beside the house. Our fruit trees are barely visible sticks down on the south forty (not in this screen capture).

We've discovered that there are a lot of rock&roll cover bands in the area, mostly ex-pats doing their favorite music. Definitely amateur, but we've had some fun evenings out watching people we know in their bands.

It looks like the plan to merge the regions of Poitou-Charentes and Limousin with Aquitaine has been finalized. After the formal vote sometime in December, the new super-region will come into effect in January 2016.

So far, 2014 is looking to be one of the top three warmest years since 1900. And wet too.