29 October 2011

Autumn colors

The sun came out yesterday afternoon, almost unexpectedly. We're staying in for the next few days while Walt tries to recover from his pinched nerve and his cold — yes, he's caught an autumn cold. He has another session with the kinésithérapeute on Monday. My only sorties will be walks with the dog in the woods and in the vineyard.

Maple trees out front from an upstairs window yesterday

It's not cold at all right now — in fact, temperatures are 5ºC/ 10ºF above normal, according to the weather reports on TV. But it's rainy, or at least threatening rain most of the time. The heaviest rain is still down south on the Mediterranean coast.

A tree out on the edge of the vineyard looks
like it's on fire.

Saint-Aignan is having its annual Fête de la Saint-Simon this weekend. Attending doesn't appear to be in the cards for us. It's a big sidewalk sale/flea market. People will be out drinking the season's new wine, called la bernache — it's wine that hasn't finished fermenting yet and hasn't been filtered. The taste is sweet and tart, but people always tell you not to drink much, because bernache has a definite laxative effect.

Here in France we'll be turning our clocks back an hour tonight. So the sun will rise not at 8:30 but at 7:30 for the next few months. Or maybe at 8:00, as the days get shorter and shorter until December 21. And night will fall in what a few months ago felt like the middle of the afternoon...

7 comments:

  1. Here it's suddenly winter--we're getting the first snow of the season. It's pretty, but way too early.

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  2. In the States, we move our clocks back next Sunday.

    Winter time is almost here. But I don't complain with temperatures in the 80s in the afternoon.

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  3. I sure hope Walt's pinched nerve and cold are connected like mine occasionally are: I get a sore neck, a few days later I get a cold, and then they both go away at the same time.

    Get well soon, Walt!

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  4. chm, thanks for that info.I was wondering when we were set to change our clocks.

    Ken, beautiful photos :) I adore autumn!

    (Especially when the ST. LOUIS CARDINALS WIN THE WORLD SERIES!!! ummm which happened last night:)))

    Judy

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  5. The last picture of the burning tree is beautiful.... most city folks never get to see real Autumn colour.... even those who live near parks as most of their growth seems to be chosen for Summer colour!!

    It also reminded me that I should be carrying a camera with me at all times at the moment... I missed a beauty yesterday. A line of Poplars along the Aigronne were caught in one of the few patches of sun we had.... standing there in a golden glow with a dark sky behind them... but the vision of it will last for some time in my mind. Until erased by the next wonderful patch of colour....

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  6. The colors are the only thing I miss about this time of year.

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  7. Sure hope Walt is feeling better quickly. The fall colors are beautiful. It reminds me of raking leaves in Connecticut. Argh!

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