It is really early — still three or four weeks from the winter solstice — to have a bad case of "cabin fever" — but that's what I think I've got right now. It is absolutely pouring rain this morning. The ground is completely saturated. I'm fully expecting the roof to start leaking. If we get more heavy rain over the next few days and weeks, water will probably start flowing into the garage. I poured an inch of water out of the rain gauge yesterday.
I should be out there raking up leaves, but they are too wet and heavy, and it's no fun working in the yard wearing rain gear.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and that holiday always makes me feel that I'm living in an alternate universe. It's not a holiday in France. The world just goes on as on any other normal weekday. And normal weekdays are very low-key these days because of constant rainfall and gray skies. It's been this way nearly all the time since I got back from North Carolina five weeks ago. Can you tell I'm trying to avoid using the D word? Depressing...
Saint-Aignan is under the small green and yellow blob just below the word France.
Look at that huge blob of rain and clouds that's will be making its way inland today.
The only other times I've ever felt so disconnected from the world as I do on Thanksgiving Day in France was when we lived in San Francisco. In summertime, the television news and morning shows would report that an extreme heat wave was causing suffering in wide areas of the U.S. I'd look outside, check the thermometer, and see that it was foggy, misty, windy, and about 55ºF. San Francisco is world unto itself in so many ways, and so is France.
Bertie the black cat is not a jolly fellow these days. At least he and Tasha are buddies, so he can spend as much time in the house as he wants. And that's most of the day and night right now. He's free to go outside whenever he wants to, and he does go out for a stroll now and then, but mostly he just sleeps. I think maybe he has got cabin fever too. That's what you get when you have to spend way too much time shut up in the house in wintertime.
Too much, too fast! The only bright side of all that rain is that some of it may find its way to the depleted water tables.
ReplyDeleteOnly stupid people are too blind to deny climate change. It seems, at least in France, that floodings get worse and more frequent.
Well, it has been soaking rain all the time for five weeks. It hasn't rained too hard for too long at a time. I believe the climate is really changing, but I also believe it's too late to do much about it. Climate is like weather — everybody complains about it but nobody ever does anything about it.
DeleteWe're about to have several days of rain as well. They're predicting heavy rain all day Thanksgiving here in LA.
ReplyDeleteWell as they say: "Give me coffee to change the things I can, and wine to accept those that I cannot."
Funny. Since I don't have any hope of changing anything, I just hope the wine doesn't run out.
DeleteAnd then there's the middle of Texas where we live. With exception of the occasional drizzle, we haven't had any appreciable rain since the first week of May. Worried about some of our trees not making it.
ReplyDeleteOur old analogue gauge is recording 34mm for overnight
ReplyDeleteThe millstream has gone from a "cafe au lait" colour to "stewed tea and too much milk"!
At least I can work in the 128sq.mtr hangar... except when it is actually raining hard, then the sound of rain on the corrugated steel roof is deafening!
Sunlight is important during the dark days and you aren't getting much. Do you take vitamin D? Imagine living in Sweden this time of year- I don't know how people deal with such short days. Thanksgiving is a nice kind of holiday that isn't spoiled by commercialism, but every year Christmas tries to take it over. I wish you some sunshine and time to rake those leaves.
ReplyDeleteChristmas is trying to take over Labor Day in some stores. The already trot it out with Halloween at Target.
DeleteDreary, rainy days can bring anyone down. Yuck. Vive le soleil!
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see that closeup photo of your dear Bertie :)
I hope you feel better soon (sun, come out!!) and that the roof stays sound.
ReplyDeleteI shouldn't write blog posts before six a.m. when buckets of rain are falling outside. I took a nice drive on back roadsthrough fall-colored woods over to Montrichard between 9 and 11. It was pretty and re-invigorating. Then I had a good walk with Tasha this afternoon. No rain, and a ray or two of sunshine. Things are looking up! as my mother used to say.
DeleteGood news! Happy Leg-O-Lamb Day.
DeleteBonjour Ken and others! We had a nice sunny day here in the Willamette Valley for my drive north (about 70 miles) to share Thanksgiving with some old friends and some new friends! I knew it would be dark when I started back (6 pm but it was pitch black out! Now, that was something I haven't had to do alone in some time! Glad you got out for a little sightseeing, Ken. I am invigorated today after such a fun time meeting and hearing stories about the new friends, their cats, interesting recipes and lots about the cheeses on the cheese plate! Sandy had brought some of the Crater Lake Blue cheese from Rogue River Creamery in southern Oregon that won first place in the World (over France!) for their contribution. IT WAS YUMMY! She also had a variety of treats to eat with her cheese tray: dried cranberries, apricots and raisins, pecans and crackers. One cheese of interest: Ski Queen from Norway and a Cheddar from Scotland that were also different. Maybe a visit or an invitation to some friends would change up the pace if the rain continues!
ReplyDeleteI was glad to see Bertie looking so splendid! It is so nice that Tasha and Bertie are friends!
Mary in Oregon
That sounds like a nice day. We had fresh frozen figs with our Thanksgiving cheese course (ewe's milk Petit Basque, Auvergne Cantal, and Normandy Pont-lEvêque. Today I took some pictures of Tasha and Bertie together. Stay tuned.
DeleteThose figs sound so good, Ken! There was a figgy jam on yesterday's cheese plate, I had forgotten to mention. Your cheese plate sounds tasty, but other than the Cantal I haven't had the opportunity to taste the others you listed. Something in my future to fire up my taste buds! Sand had two ragdoll cats which I had to look up because the photo she showed didn't look like what I was expecting a ragdoll cat to look like! My Matisse is the tiger or domesticated (I think that is the descriptive word!) with a white patch on his chest and white paws. I will look forward to seeing Tasha and Bertie tomorrow! We have sun again today-- what a thrill - I better shut this computer down and go for a walk or something!
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