It's that time of year again for the foxglove explosion at the farm. They grow everywhere, even in the stone walls. Five years ago I had several white ones next to the house, but I haven't seen any since.





And my dog killed a beech marten in the attic at 2 in the morning. Pitch black and then she even retrieved it. Good dog.


And my ever helpful Donkey gave me some advice in the woodshop.


Pete

what a day

I have foxgloves next to the house, my honey bees love them..... we have stone martens in the southern part of Wisconsin.

Looks like a wonderful place, Swift. How long have you lived there?

gryhkl… I've lived here for just over 10 years now. My wife was born and raised here and I've been visiting the area since '87.

Pete

It looks like you out in the country there. How do you compare it to living in the US?

Great pics, swift. Good looking hound. What's the trapping like over there?

Those flowers are cool. Good dog you got there

Living here is not all that different from the US, but it is not the same. People in the states are generally more open and friendly. The neighbors at the farm are great, but the Basques are more fun than lots of the French anyway.

Trapping here is year round, no limit for red fox, martens, crows, magpies, weasels and jays. Not legal to sell fur except for red fox, but not much of a market. I get to trap freely on over 15,000 acres and can trap anywhere in France as long as I get the mayor's signature.

Pete

Thanks for the share swift- I have a single white one that popped up this year- good ol digitalis. My mom always told me it is poisonous. Turns out there are certain medications made from it- that's all I know. I am going to visit you someday- don't get old!

Swift4me, where are you at in France? I did 65 days at Mont de Marson, working on the French base. The French gave us a hanger to run KC135's out of. They were used refueling in support of Kosovo. I ran over to Istres-Le Tubé Air Base a couple of time to pick up air craft parts. I enjoyed it here. I always enjoy seeing your pictures.

Pretty neat animal didn't realize we had any in this state

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beech_marten

Sounds like you got it pretty good over there, that is awesome. There's a pretty decent Basque community out in the desert of Jordan Valley, OR. Super nice people, the ones I've met.

Your flowering plant sort of looks like the purple loosestrife, that is an invasive species here.....jk

Yep..What is your donkey's name?...

I’ve grown foxglove as a perennial here in Pa. There’s a medicinal extract taken from the plant to produce a drug to treat heart failure.

MJM.... I'm about two hours south of Mt. de Marsan. The farm is about two miles from the Spanish border.

Wild Idaho.... I have a good buddy who goes to the rodeo in Jordan Valley every year to hang out with some of the Basques he knew as a kid. Lots of Basques around Boise too and they have a Basque cultural center there.

Unfortunately it is a language that you have to learn at your mother's breast. Later in life it is almost impossible. Even between the seven Basque provinces here and in Spain they have a hard time understanding each other.

Pete

Oh, the donkey in first the picture is named Verdi. The other one is Coluche, (a famous old French comedian), and the mare is Haize, (Basque for the wind).





Don't ask me why, but my wife named the goats after opera characters.