March is coming in like a Lamb!

Well I can hardly believe that is now March and saying the usual "Pinch and a Punch first day of the Month" finishing off with "White Rabbits" which is great until you start explaining this phrase in the local restaurant (at this point I think why? oh why did I start this!!) Thankfully my dear girls were there by my side to help translate but I don't think poor Isabelle really got it - although she was all for popping off to the kitchen to start pinching and punching!

The last day of half term today and we did think we might go out for the day - escape the confines of the office but it was too flipping cold! So yes, by the way the -5 did come last week, along with 2 days of snow!! Woke up Monday morning to a semi-white world and again on Tuesday, I didn't have chance to get out with the camera on Monday but took a quick 15 minutes with the Robins (again) on Tuesday.....

I started this post quite obviously on the 1st March and it's now the 7th!
Every time I came back to update something else came along! In the meantime I did finish off the editing of all the photos I took at a lovely Family Photo Session...4 Children, 1 baby and their lovely parents. There have been a few faves so far but I think this one is going to be on my cards this season!

Although Valentin slept through most of the 2 hours there this one is possibly one I will be happy with for a long time. Whilst getting things set up I like to "test" the lighting etc....but for me sometimes this time turns to a moment like this

There are many, many more but I won't share them all :)

We had our first lovely long walk (7.5kms) on the 3rd March, the sun was out and the sky was blue - warm in the sun but chilly in the shade....we enjoyed the time talking and walking, taking in the silence and of course a few photos!

Scooby enjoys his first paddle of the year - clear but chilly!

Source du Chaboussant

Lapwings

Signs of Spring

We popped to Charroux on Tuesday - primarily to leave cards at the Office de Tourisme whilst waiting I did take a few pics of the infamous Abbaye de Charroux for more information on this Benedictine Abbaye it's worth a little read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charroux_Abbey it never fails to amaze me - how something built in the 11th Century still stands proud today! So full of history and quite a few stories! The photos were taken through a fence but I will hopefully go back when they are open!


Finally, I heard the Cranes flying over but could I see them? I was so busy hanging out the washing - oh yes I did and it dried! I realised that the noise I could hear was not coming from the playground from the Primaire but from the sky - another mad dash indoors and.........

Flying High!

Yes they are high but you can clearly see they are the wonderful noisy Cranes - I don't remember them flying over our way before but hopefully they will come back again and again! Not the hundreds that other family and friends have seen either but I am happy to have seen them!

Another Spring day blossomed on the 4th - it's always a lovely time of year (my favourite!) because of the new, fresh shoots flowering the anticipation of what's to come and of course the Bees and Butterflies come out to eat, drink and work hard!

Today though I have had one of those "moments" you know when you see something you want to take a photo of but the camera is not next to you? With a yelp I ran to my youngest daughter's room who had her camera  located in a place I could lay my hands on it and ran back to the kitchen praying the batteries were charged ..... and that my subject was still where I had left in... YES....(taken through the kitchen window) a Kestrel makes a brief stop on the bird house!

and I have a feeling this is what made him fly away

umm that's a large one on my bird house!

Need to check....oooh it's gone!

and this is what you have to deal with if you come back big bird from the sky!!

This photo was taken on the 4th March - I have a feeling by the end of today we will have more in flower! Although I am hoping the reports of snow are wrong - we really need some sun and warmth now!

New Facebook Page alert - my lovely friend has started her own business - her page is new as it was only launched last week but I know it's going to be a very useful page (and I might even start on my own house when it's time for spring cleaning!) but in the meantime I am reading and digesting all her fab ideas/tips! Cut the Clutter can be found here https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cut-the-Clutter/463478547039508

Have a great weekend - when it arrives - we are off to our youngest daughters second concert with her music class and am already anticipating her solo of "With or Without You" with nervous excitement...another "proud mum" moment!