We have been under the influence of Tempête Eowyn for the last 18 hours or so. This means we keep an eye on the vide sanitaire. Because with persistent rainfall it can start to flood. The pump is in and the mains supply extension in the veranda. We have a lull before the next high winds and heavy rainfall due Sunday.

Yesterday afternoon while checking the vide, the space under the house, we saw a Fire Salamander.

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{not my image}

We had one previously outside which drowned in the water bowls for the stray cats.

This one had come out to play in the darkness of the vide because of the rain. We closed the door and let it go about its business.

“Despite its wide distribution and abundance, it is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to its susceptibility to infection by the introduced fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, which has caused severe declines in fire salamanders in parts of its range.”

We are quite lucky here we get slow worms, grass snakes and couleuvre vipérine (Natrix maura). To see them swimming in the pond is quite a treat.

During the night the winds were high and doing the rounds this morning I noted one of the poplars has cracked at its base and is being held up by the marsh willow in the “swamp”.

The coypu have not disturbed the witness sticks overnight.

The weather radar suggests a slight break in the rain around mid-day. The poplar needs moved before the next wind. The plan is to attach a rope to the base of the poplar and pull. It should fall step wise. I’ll don my lumberjack shirt and get the chainsaw ready. It looks like it will make good firewood. The difficulty being that thanks to Ciaran all the covered wood store is full.

Maybe I’ll store it in the relative dry under the pines…