Today sunny. Very sunny. Makes a pleasant change after nearly a week of cloud and rain. Been chilly too. Cut some logs and lit the kitchen stove a few days back. Been roaring away ever since. Not exactly what you'd expect for July. 'Tis July innit??? Still, can't complain; I gather it's bucketing down in Blighty today.

Had a storm the other night. Tried to get some shots of lightning. Didn't work of course. Not only because it's impossible to shoot at exactly the right moment but also because there's a second or two's delay between button pressing and shutter action. I suspect there's a button somewhere for keeping the lens open for a long time but I'm blowed if I know where it is. Had this camera for about six years now and still haven't a clue what most of the knobs are for. Eventually managed to switch the camera to video mode and shot a quick sequence. Am now wondering if it's possible to blog it. Think I'll give it a try. Not because it's particularly interesting but merely because, for me, it's another giant leap forward into this wierd techno age. Nowt ventured, nowt gained. (Press black triangle button to play.)

P.S. - Hah! Hilarious! Think I can safely say that was a dismal failure. However, not being one to give up easily, I think there's definite potential in this movie feature. More experimentation necessary methinks.

So..., here's more experimentation...

Er, as is patently obvious, I still don't have the knack of this video mode. Appears that when one lifts one's podgy digit off the camera button, the blighter still continues to record visually and aurally (keep forgetting that! - must watch me lingo), I think for 15 seconds total. Hence the somewhat embarrassing and unintended footage. Yup, more experimentation necessary. Also, it appears this video feature has been designed not by a scientist or engineer but by a French impressionist disciple of Monet. Rather like it. Anyway, lovely day.

Most gardeners are green-fingered. I'm just green. I know nothing. However, I did manage to identify a red flowery thing that's recently started exploding under the kitchen window as a poppy. Wallowing in the warm glow of extreme chuffedness at having finally made a correct horticultural analysis, I was then informed by my good chum blogger Debs that it may well be, more specifically, an opium poppy. So I'm now seriously considering scratching the side of one of its seed pods with a sharp fork, collecting the sap, then going on a search through some dusty old boxes for a smelly old pipe that I last fired up many moons ago as a moronic student in a hopelessly failed attempt to appear vaguely intellectual.

P.S. - Have just Googled 'poppy' and it would appear that this isn't an opium variety. Nor is it any one of many others that were listed. In an increasingly frantic search to correctly name this attractive interloper, I then Googled 'poppy family' and am now delighted to announce that beneath my kitchen window I apparently have a re-emerging, little-known, early '70s, Canadian pop group.

Er, would greatly appreciate further assistance in identifying this mysterious growth...

P.P.S. - Have just spoken to Georgie and, surprisingly, The Oracle can't say exactly what it is. However, she reckons it could be a member of the opium family although 'proper' opiums are pink with a single layer of petals. Apparently she planted it by tossing a few poppy seeds in from a cheap seed packet. The mystery continues...

P.P.P.S. - Thanks to clever clogs Debs and The Gardener for their sterling detective work in identifying this blooming thing as Papaver Somniferum, otherwise known as the Scarlet Peony Poppy (an opium jobby). Thanks also to everyone else for much appreciated suggestions. Such a relief we got there in the end. 'Course, I knew it was a scarlet popover somnambulisty poppy thingy all along. Just testing.

A couple of well-informed blog chums (Debs and Dirk) have just spotted some recently introduced new laws for ALL drivers on French roads. Interesting stuff. So have lifted parts of Dirk Beauregard's recent posting and am including it here for all to see...

++++ News for those driving to or through France this summer.

From 1st July '08, motorists are obliged by law to be carrying in their car a set of fluorescent jacket(s) and a warning triangle. All cars have to be equipped with these jackets (one per person in car) at all times. The jacket is to be worn in case of breakdown whilst setting up the warning triangle at a distance of 10 metres from the car. Jackets to be kept in glove-box, warning triangles in boot. Failure to have the right elements in the correct location will lead to a 135 euro fine. Motorists who are missing parts of their kit can be fined 90 euros for each part missing.

There will be a summertime introductory period of lenience ending on 1st October when fines will be issued.

Other road news... more speed cameras are on the way and more mobile on-board cameras are planned for summer. The latter will be operated by Gendarmes in unmarked cars. Under new European legislation being introduced for this summer, fines may be given to British (and other 'Euro') drivers together with points on licences. In the worst cases, members of the local constabulary may frogmarch (ho, ho!) a driver to a cash point, make him/her withdraw the value of the fine and then confiscate the car (or bike) immediately.

Finally, speed limits. Following a recent trial period of a 110km/h motorway speed limit, this summer's speed limit on French motorways is likely to be reduced from 130 to 110km/h. Apparently speed cameras are already being reconfigured to this lower figure.

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Thanks to Dirk for the above. However, I'm still not clear regarding 'jackets'. As a biker, I have a 'dayglow' waistcoat with reflective stripes which I (sometimes) wear over my leathers. Does this qualify as 'a jacket' or does it have to be long-sleeved? Also, this waistcoat is orange, not yellow. Tres confusing.

I've said it before and I'll probably say it again: dogwalking out here sure beats dogwalking 'back there'. And, having endured a seemingly never-ending winter of sploshing around in pouring rain and mud, it comes as a special treat to amble 'out back' in the early matin summer soleil with my two wee canine chums. It's such a pleasure that I frequently feel guilty that others don't have the same opportunities. So, for those of you who'd like to enjoy the simple pleasures of a (yet another!) canine stroll without the anxiety of worrying if Sprocket's whizzed off on a killing spree, here are a few wee snappies... (er, apologies if my fixation with dogwalking is causing increasing numbers of my very welcome readers to rapidly lose the will to live...)

Last Sunday. An all-day faaarming 'do' up at Poussanges Mairie. Kicked off at 11am with a mass in the church. Heard 'em singing while we laid low in the garden and kitchen. Then three historic horse-drawn contraptions turned up on the church lawn: one carriage and two straw baling thingies. When the mass was over, everyone moved up to the Mairie; most by Shanks's pony and some by carriage. A lunch had been arranged, followed by boules, drinking, nattering, more boules, more drinking, more nattering and maybe a polka or two accompanied by some moustachioed garlic-muncher squeezing hell out of an accordian. Am a little embarrassed at not having made the effort to attend this highpoint of the social calendar, but I had a very good excuse: my twin chickadees are not very good at getting up on a Sunday - especially a holiday Sunday. So there. Anyway, we were fattygayed from the previous day's exertions in weeding, lawn chopping and arranging flowery things on the house window sills. After all, can't have la maison next to the eglise looking like a cochon-sty, can nous? 'Twould bring shame to Scotland et Putne ('e' acute).