It's that time of the year again

Our commune states similar times but why?
Our deputy maire is our next door neighbour in our hamlet of 6 houses and he cuts his grass at any time he is able and certainly not within the hours stated.
He is a lovely chap and always helpful and is well liked in the commune.
I think the hours for grass cutting are published with an eye on those who live in the more densely populated areas, although calling rural villages densely populated is perhaps an over statement.
I suspect it’s a rule very often broken and there just in case someone is irked by a habitual offender.
Its a pity that sun and rain dont adhere to these hours!

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The rules are there… and can be amended by the Prefecture… as it says…
on the other hand, in the countryside folk often have to do what they can, when they can get to it… eg weather can cause all sorts of problems and those who work fulltime have to fit things in when and if…

Generally folk are sensitive to others (in my local experience) and will often ask/chat with neighbours beforehand … and (or course) we/they always say “no problem”. Any one of us can find ourselves in a predicament, so it’s a case of friendly swings and roundabouts.

However, the rules can/do protect folk from neighbours who are causing a real problem (yes, such folk do exist).

Just as the church clock struck 10… the farmer started cutting the field across from us…
what a row shattering the silence… but what a relief that he’s finally doing it.
(I’d checked that he had it marked in his diary, but he has been known to forget…)

The Owners arrive in 3 weeks and will hope to see their fields looking reasonably tidy. It’s a once a year cut and now’s that time… before everything gets soaked again and thus beyond hope for this visit…
EDIT: Looking at his progress, I can’t see him finishing at midday… no-one will complain if he keeps going until he gets too hungry :wink: :wink: :wink:

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OH and I have just struggled across to check out “the fields”… phew it’s hot… and the farmer has nearly finished his task… (he only had a short lunchbreak… perhaps he’s on a promise if he gets the fields cut all in one day… :wink: :wink: )

Anyway, the village is calm and apart from the rumbling tractor, there’s nowt about except Nature… the usual squadrons of hirondelles… which scream by so low, we flinch as they pass us … :wink: and the bees, buzzing nonstop… butterflies dancing like jewels in the sun…

All sane Humans are all safely indoors… dozing I reckon… that’s a good idea :wink:

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Literally, my favorite fruit. Ours are only just flowering though.

If the guy with his tractor can cut his hay in the fields around our house at all hours, I’m absolutely certain that the neighbours aren’t going to hear my puny little lawnmower doing the same thing.

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I was only able to enjoy 2 figs from the tree last year because the wasps were quite savage.
I had never seen wasps so large before!
Good luck with your cherries!

I pick the figs early in the morning… around 7am… nothing much is buzzing around at that hour…
but if I get delayed, by 10am it’s too late… as frelons of all sorts, as well as the wasps, are all trying to profit from nature’s bounty :wink: :wink:

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I’ll have to try that this year! Thanks for the tips.
Now to make the effort to get out of bed before 10am :sweat_smile:

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I also find that the buzzers tend to head for the higher-up fruit… nearest the sun… so I ignore them and go for the lowdown fruits…
Buzzers and I share a comfortable understanding, I leave them alone and… if necessary… I walk away rather than fight…

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Last year we planted a fig, mulberry apricot pomegranate mirabelle and a cherry. All of them look fine and healthy apart from the cherry whose leaves were totally stripped by catapillars? We didn’t see anything
Our oldest cherry doesn’t produce any cherries but gives us valuable shade, which would be even better if it also didn’t have it’s leaves stripped by these ‘catapillars’. So that’s why I 'm thinking of this sticky stuff

I’ll go and check what it’s called, if you like - I think I know where I’ve hidden the tin! I’ve only seen it used on apple trees but then, round here, they’re pretty well the only trees grown :smiley:

That’s good of you though I don’t need it until the autumn

It’s “Glu Pelton” a traditional product.

Having looked at the label, I’ve found an example on Amazon so you can see what it looks like. It looks like the paper bands with this stuff on are also available but my experience with the UK equivalents wasn’t over successful - the little blighters often got underneath it…

https://www.amazon.fr/Pelton-Arboricole-pour-Pièger-Insectes/dp/B007AKFMUQ?th=1

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Thanks looks and sounds useful so we’ll give it a go.

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I hadn’t realised until I re-read the label, that they suggest it for ants. Some of my trees have a big ant problem so I’m so glad we “talked” about this - I shall get going with it :smiley:

From my UK days… I think that gunk is marvellous for anything which tries to crawl up the trunk… catches the little blighters… (who come to a sticky end… :wink: :wink: )

Plus. I think it stops them fings wot crawl down the trunk to overwinter in the soil (or did I dream that?)

No, you didn’t dream that - for the little blighters that get our apples, that’s exactly what happens - down for the winter, up in the spring…

Thank you @AngelaR and @Stella for this tip!

Our garden is inundated with ants so I have ordered some Pelton sticky and bands from Amazon today. May end with the date palms looking like we’re waiting for returning soldiers but hey ho. I’m not sure if the 300 year old olive tree will want a sticky band too.

You can just paint the stuff on the stems if you want less mess!

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