We closed all the shutters all around the house, because predictions were for hard rain, strong winds, and maybe some hail. We put the car in the garage for the first time in months. Then we waited. Walt watched the rain on weather radar sites on the web. It was all west of us, along the coast from Bordeaux up to Cherbourg.
And, well, it all passed us right by. We never did get any rain. We didn't hear any thunder, we felt no stronger winds than the first gusts early in the evening, and there isn't a drop of water in the rain gauge this morning. It's a good thing I watered the plants that needed watering yesterday morning.
Our friends who own a house about 10 miles south of Saint-Aignan were supposed to leave this morning to return to California. I'm glad I didn't have to go, but I'm also glad they didn't have to make the drive to Paris through stormy weather.
Skies over the vineyard at sunrise yesterdayWhat they do is get up in the middle of the night and leave their house at about 4:00 a.m. to drive to Charles de Gaulle airport, which is on the north side of Paris. The drive takes at least three hours — unless there is traffic, and then it takes longer. That's the unpredictable part. Then they have to wait several hours at the airport before spending an hour or two going through all the security checks.
The flight from Paris to San Francisco takes 11 hours. It's a very long haul.
Callie waiting for the stormy weather to arriveand maybe doing some California dreaming
I think I'll just stay here. I'm not much of a traveler any more. The only reason I wanted to travel when I lived all those years in California was to come to France. Or to go see my family in North Carolina. Now I just have one destination when I get on a plane, and that's N.C. Otherwise, I'll just stay in France.
The news on France 2 TV just reported that there was heavy weather down south of us yesterday and last night. In the Lot and the Tarn-et-Garonne departments, trees were down and there was some flooding. We were spared.
No one captures skies like you do!
ReplyDeleteWow, such gorgeous landscape/sky photos these past two days!
ReplyDeleteAnd... we turned out having a very tolerable heat level yesterday after all:)) But, today, it is headed for the muggy mid 90s... yikes, that sounds so much hotter than 34 or 35:))
So, Ken, have you and Walt traveled much in Europe outside of France? Are you intrigued by other European countries, or has France really mostly always been "it" for you?
Judy
Callie doesn't seem too worried about the coming storm. Maybe she sensed that it was a false alert:) Or maybe she knows that no harm can come to her as long as she stays in a firmly shuttered house with you and Walt. Martine
ReplyDeleteWe had storms, lashing rain, thunder and lightening. The thunder and lightening mostly came then went, didn;t hang about for long, but the rain went on and on all through the night. Bit grey today, then sunny but also muggy..couldn;t make its mind up!!
ReplyDeleteIt's France all the way, Judy. The two countries I would like to know better are England and Italy. But I'm not interested in living in England or Scotland, or in Italy since I don't speak the language. France is plenty big to keep me occupied for the rest of my life.
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm using one of your previous pictures of a sunset as my desktop background, and enjoying it every time I turn on my computer. Since mornings are my favorite time of day, I was thinking of asking you if you had any sunrises--and the very next day there it was. I'm saving it for later. You can add me to the list of people who are delighted every time you post pictures of sky (or flowers, or insects ....) Thank you.
ReplyDelete