1/6/10

Snowed up in Brittany - Global warming




Brittany is supposedly suffering from a very bad power shortage. Nobody knows whether it’s true or if it’s a way for politicians to open the road to building the nuclear power plants Britons have been fiercely refusing.

One thing is true: we have been going through a very interesting freezing cold period ever since the beginning of the year. And so we’ve been told that there will be power cuts from time to time. Maybe it’s just going to be a scare but you never know.

It is really, really cold. Don’t laugh, my friends from Northern America! And it’s been snowing a lot, yes a lot for this part of Brittany!

When the second phase of our home renovation started, we stored our wood at our friends’ farm. So today, our friends, Bernard and Yvette came over to bring a few logs just in case, just in case.

Since there was nothing else to do, we started reminiscing about past winters. Personnally, I’ve never seen snow last more than two hours here... Probably due to the vicinity of the Gulf Stream... It’s much colder and snowy ten miles from the coast.

Bernard had to go back to 1954 and a couple of years in the 1960s to remember such a snowy beginning of January. Usually Frebruary is the coldest month of the year in this part of Brittany. Coldest yes but without snow most of the time.

Just imagine my surprise, last night, when I heard shutters banging in my den. I went upstairs and opened the window only to be hit by a flurry of snow, driven by a very strong south-east wind!

Snow, I just couldn’t believe it! I was getting excited... There already was at least 1 cm of snow on the ground. Don’t laugh! And the evening was only beginning! But since I’m not used to such a weather, I went to bed thinking it wouldn’t last.


This morning, Byerly got restless quite early. I tried to shush him up. No way. I gave up and opened my eyes. There was this strange white light filtering through the shutters. And I knew. I felt like a kid, opened the windows and shutters and there it was, so glorious!

 
I never thought Les Tertres would look like this! Like a fairyland!

 

Byerly spent his time watching outside but no birds.


 

I looked around for tracks but there were none! Strange when you think that farmers have been hunting wild boars like crazy in the area. Last year, there were boar (and badger) tracks all around the house! But no snow!

Mr. Weatherman has announced heavy snowfalls starting again tonight and lasting until next Wednesday...
I have to leave Les Tertres on Sunday morning to go back to Paris.

There is a time for beauty and a time for travelling. I’m not sure snow fits well with travelling, at least in France!













*Good Night, and Good Luck*










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