DLCI 2021 Magazines - September
September
2021
Sloes plump and ready to pick at the end of August!
NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE PRESIDENT
I have just spent a delightful but busy August in the company of most of my family – thanks to vaccination, pass sanitaire/NHS Covid app and testing, three of my four children were able to visit as well as my mother and sister. Currently we have four generations under one roof! Bliss – but very busy. My eldest son’s wife is due to have a baby in early September so I will be going to London to see them soon as they couldn’t travel here. I feel incredibly lucky and I hope that as many of you as possible have had a similar experience or are now able to plan to visit close family with reasonable certainty. It has certainly lifted my morale so much.
Another ‘morale boost’ is the resumption of our monthly lunches. We enjoyed a splendid lunch last week at Château Les Merles which happened to be a favourite of our founder, Jennifer de Chabaneix. We are approaching 35 years since the beginning of the DLCI and I will say more about Jennifer and the DLCI at the AGM. It is wonderful that the club is still in existence, but I must – again - make a plea for more volunteers for the committee.
Since the pandemic, many of us have had changes in our lives and several members (including committee members) have returned, or are in the process of returning, to the UK. June Davies has fulfilled the role of Treasurer for far, far longer than she ever signed up for (or for that matter should have done according to our statutes) and we are desperate for a new committee member to help us out and take on this role. It has been streamlined recently so that it is not onerous and anyone with knowledge of a simple Excel spreadsheet will be able to manage it. I shall be reiterating this plea at the AGM so please get in touch if you think you could do it! The committee is a vibrant and active group and we like to get things done. Thank you again to Isla Cathcart for taking on the Secretary’s role at very short notice! We are very grateful to you and hope it hasn’t been too much of a baptism of fire.
The AGM paperwork should now have reached you and we are trialing the vote as an online survey this year, as we agreed to do at last year’s AGM. It will save a great deal of time, postage and in particular, paper, which the committee feels is important given that we are trying to do our bit to combat climate change. Since you all manage to access your Magazine every month, I am not anticipating that you will have problems with the voting survey – it took me less than 30 seconds to complete and is a very easy site to understand and use. Thank you, Pat! We have already had an extremely encouraging rate of response and are hoping that the majority of members will respond.
Please note that in order to attend the AGM, you MUST have a ‘pass sanitaire’ and we will be legally obliged to check it. This means that you must have been fully vaccinated or have a negative PCR test before the meeting.
Without further ado, I will leave you to enjoy this month’s magazine. Lin works very hard to produce it and the committee is always planning events for your enjoyment.
Kathy
Hugo with Hector and Loki
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
AGM Tuesday 28th September at Salle de L’orangerie, Bergerac
Pass sanitaire and masks will be required
Unfortunately the restaurants that could accept our number and were in walking distance are now shut for their holidays. We will, therefore, be ordering a packed picnic lunch which will be delivered to the Orangerie. We can then choose whether to eat inside or outside (dependent on weather). The cost will be no more than 10 euros – menu to follow.
WALK – Thursday 23rd September - Boucle de Saussignac
We will meet in the centre of Saussignac at 10am. This is a lovely 8km mainly flat walk. Dogs on leads most welcome.
GARDENING IN FRANCE
BY CHRISTINE LEES
I expect like me you are busy watering, weeding, deadheading and just enjoying your garden. However if you can find half an hour to put together a bulb order, or buy some bulbs from your local garden centre, you will have the maximum choice available. Daffodils and other spring bulbs can be planted in September and October, tulips are best planted in November to avoid viral diseases However if you find yourself with some forgotten bulbs or if you find a bargain bag later in the winter, it is worthwhile planting them. Check before buying that the bulbs are still firm.
To make life easier you can buy long-handled or short handled bulb planters.
I find the short-handled ones easier as I garden mostly at ground level. Plant your bulbs at the depth indicated on the packet or as a general guide, at least 2 x the depth of the bulb. If you have heavy soil, it may help to add some grit to the soil. Plant in groups of 5 upwards, depending on the size of your garden.
There are many different bulbs and corms (such as Anemone) as well as the usual Narcissi (daffodils), Crocus and tulips. Think about the colour combinations you would like to have and what will look good with your existing flowering plants. Here are some bulbs and corms you might want to consider.
Anemone coronaria
Fritillaria imperialis - crown imperials, a very impressive flower
Fritillaria meleagris - snake's head fritillary, good for heavy soil
Hyacinths - many different colours and highly scented
Chionodoxa or glory of the snow
Crocus
Alliums - early summer flowering, wide variety of purples, blues and magentas
Camassias - elegant spires of blue and white flowers
As it is not currently possible to buy bulbs, seeds or plants from the UK, you can try the following suppliers:
Farmer Gracy - bulbs, UK company but bulbs come direct from Holland
Baumaux - Europe's largest seed company, based in France, also have a bulb catalogue
Promesse de Fleurs - shrubs, herbaceous plants and bulbs, very good quality
I would be interested to hear about any other online nurseries/suppliers you can recommend.
Happy bulb planting!
DORDOGNE LADIES BOOK CLUB
This is an exerpt from Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall. A book we should all read..…
… it's actually two bits of text to whet your appetite. .
When we are reaching for the stars, the challenges ahead are such that we will perhaps have to come together to meet them: to travel the universe not as Russians, Americans, or Chinese but as representatives of humanity. But so far, although we have broken free from the shackles of gravity, we are still imprisoned in our own minds, confined by our suspicion of the "other," and thus our primal competition for resources. There is a long way to go.
There are fifty American states, but they add up to one nation in a way the twenty-eight sovereign states of the European Union never can. Most of the EU states have a national identity far stronger, more defined, than any American state. It is easy to find a French person who is French first, European second, or one who pays little allegiance to the idea of Europe, but an American identifies with their Union in a way few Europeans do theirs. This is explained by the geography, and the history of the unification of the United States.
Below is a link to a fascinating interactive map illustrating these thoughts
https://images.app.goo.gl/JbtRBj2fnSaqiiQ56
Once you join you will receive a copy of our book list and have access to our Facebook page
There are now three DLCI monthly Book Club Meetings – Bergerac, Monpazier and Sainte Foy – please see the website for details.
Just for fun
Best wishes and take care.
POETRY CORNER
John Keats (1795 – 1821) - To Autumn has been declared ‘…the most serenely flawless poems in our language’
Although prolific during his short career and now one of the most studied and admired British poets he was convinced that he had made no mark during his lifetime. At the age of 25, aware that he was dying of Tuberculosis he wrote to Fanny Brawne in 1820 ‘ I have left no immortal work behind me – nothing to make my friends proud of my memory – but I have lov’d the priciple of beauty in all things and if I had had time I would have made myself remember’d ’
TO AUTUMN
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleanerhou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.
Where are the songs of spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.
LUNCH AT CHATEAU LES MERLES
By Carolyn Nager
Despite the hot weather, everyone was comfortably seated, shaded by large umbrellas in the lovely courtyard of Chateau les Merles.
We started with a delicious tomato and goats cheese salad which everyone enjoyed. The main course was a generous portion of sea bass on a base of potato puree, with red pepper sauce. This was accompanied by a glass of wine.
The dessert was unusual and delicious, consisting of a puree of melon with small portions of watermelon and yoghurt ice cream. Coffee finished off the perfect light summer meal. A very enjoyable experience in a beautiful venue with lovely old and new friends. And a well deserved “thank you” to Teresa for organising this excellent lunch.
The Vice President of SPA, Mme Ginette Langer gave a short talk on how the DLCI donation had been utilised. She stressed that they are always at full capacity even with the new kennels and desperately require both funds and homes for the dogs and cats in their care.
NB
Kathy has since received this information from SPA re three dogs :
Contact info is : ginettelamontagne@icloud.com
This poor chap is unclaimed , SPA are waiting another week and then he will be sterilsed and put up for adoption
These are brother and sister, they are friendly and kind with a tendency to run after cats.
SEPTEMBER CAN STILL BE VERY HOT SO A LITTLE REMINDER …….
By Elli Downer
NEVER be tempted to leave dogs in cars, caravans or conservatories, even just for a short time - leaving the windows open makes little difference and as often happens you could be unexpectedly delayed. Within just a few minutes, the temperature can soar dangerously high, with fatal consequences. In an extremely hot environment dogs are unable to regulate their normal body temperature and fatality can occur within a very short time.
Signs of heatstroke are excessive panting, extreme salivation, distress and collapse.
The recommended treatment for heat stroke is to reduce the dog’s temperature by immersing in cool, but not ice cold water and gradually decreasing the water temperature. Don’t use icy water as this decreases the temperature too quickly. Alternatively put water soaked towels over your dog and place him near to a cooling fan. Offer as much cold water to drink as wanted, and vigorously massage the legs to help maintain the blood flow. Even if your dog seems to have made a full recovery, take him to your vet for a check up in case there is any long-term damage.
Before you take your dog out to the local market on a hot day, ask yourself if he wouldn’t be better off left in a cool place at home with a large bowl of water rather than being walked around in the heat? He would far rather be left at home in a cool, shady place.
Never let pets sit out in strong sunshine for too long, and ensure they always have access to shade and a good supply of water. To protect pets with pale or thin fur from sunburn, particularly on hairless areas such as dogs’ noses and cats’ ear tips, use pet sunblock. Walk your dogs in the morning and evening when it is cooler. Keep your pet’s hair short to help them keep cool – getting dogs clipped for summer makes a lot of sense.
SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS
NB Due to the current data protection laws we are no longer able to publish actual dates.
Kathryn Carr
Julie Goatham
Ulla Hettlage
Sue Heyes
Anna Kevill
Jenny McFarlane
Sue Morrison
Elizabeth Murray
Anne Scanlan (Anne’s 90th)
INFORMATION FOR INTERESTED MEMBERS
Sent in by Kathryn Carr
Our church in Limeuil (part of the chaplaincy of Aquitaine) is running an Alpha course at the end of September as part of our outreach. If anyone would like to find out more please contact : kathryn@enviro-advice.co.uk
MEMBERS PHOTO’S
The beauty of white Agapanthus along with Fleabanes in the Dordogne
Sent in by Yveline Ulrich
PETS CORNER
Jeeves and Wooster my 14 year old inseparable twins!.
Sent in by Helen Anderson
Rosemary’s girls – all Appaloosa’s
L to R Marguerita, Cloudy Bay and Juniper
Sent in by Rosemary Copley
PHOTO REQUEST
We would love to include more of your photos including those for Pets Corner in the next Newsletter. Simply email me at DLCIMagazine@gmail.com (no later than 27th of the month) with the photo and where it is. They will be published in the next months newsletter
LASTLY
Was. George psychic?