Spring flowers and more

Spring is in full swing around here. It's been absolutely gorgeous for the past week, clear blue skies and no rain. Bailey and I are walking more than ever. Clay and I took another walking tour of Vieux Lille (old town) last weekend. It was a repeat of one we've done before but I still learned some new things or remembered things I had forgotten. We also went to a big plant sale, but it was mostly outdoor plants. It was still nice to see, however, and we saw redbuds in bloom being offered for sale, and I think something that was a dogwood tree as well. They must not be native to the area however, because I haven't seen any in the woods on my walks with Bailey. 

Pollen is crazy high and I'm taking a steady dose of two different allergy medications as well as eye drops to control the constant watering of my eyes. The apartment is getting warm on sunny afternoons because the large windows in two rooms face towards the west. We got some room darkening curtains that I think will help. 

We had a surprise call yesterday from the videographer who was with the television production crew who met us upon arrival in France last summer. He was in town working on another job and staying at the motel just down the street from us. We met him for beers yesterday and are having dinner with him this evening. This afternoon we are going to meet someone else (half of another queer couple) who have also relocated to Lille from the US. Clay is very active in several Facebook groups and meets a lot of folks that way. 

It's hard to believe but April first was the beginning of our ninth month here. We have recently submitted paperwork to renew our one year visa for another year. We are leaving on Sunday to spend several days in Paris, the first of what I expect will be many trips there. 

This was my only purchase from the plant sale. It's a Green Man, a mythical figure from Celtic folklore I believe. This one is good sized, made of concrete, and I intend to grow moss on it. I'm not sure where I'll hang it, however. It would look best on a brick wall. 

I'm really impressed by how they maintain and manage the wetland and green spaces around the Citadel. They have even created nesting places for waterfowl in areas that are protected from humans but still near enough to be observable.