A little Sunday dusting

Our "snow event" on Sunday was fun. It was over by mid-day. Most of the snow seemed, to me, to be of the heavy and wet variety. It wasn't cold enough for ice to form nor for the snow to stick on the paved road. This morning the temperature is at 8.5ºC (just under 50ºF). Comfy.

The south and west 40s seen just after yesterday's sunrise from the guest room window.

Right now we're waiting to hear from the landscape guy. The weather has been lousy this winter (but you knew that) and I'm sure it's wreaked havoc on his schedule. Hedges, shrubs, and trees are waiting to be pruned or pulled out. I can't wait! 

No snow. No, wait...

At least not yet at 06h15. It's still dark outside, but we've seen no sign of snow or rain, even thought the weather radar shows us on the line. Ha. Our outdoor thermometer says we're at 1.4ºC, just above freezing. The experts say we'll be back up to double digits by the end of the day.

UPDATE: Snow is falling at 07h00. A slight accumulation is visible on the deck railing. It's still dark outside.

Overcast and raining on a chilly Saturday morning.

I'm not watching the Olympics, but I feel that I get enough information from the news, both on line and televised, to have an idea about what's happening. But don't quiz me. I am watching men's tennis. There's a tournament winding up this weekend in Rotterdam, NL, and another in Dallas, US.

It's raining again

No real surprise there. It's not a hard rain, but it is being blown about a bit by gusty wind. And the wind's in the north today which means cold air. Today the sun rises at 08h01. Three more minutes of daylight. They do add up.

I'm getting ready to head out into the weather with Tasha. We won't go far. 

Water logged

We are soaked. It just keeps raining. There are some breaks and that lets some of the rain either run off or soak in. I usually don't take the camera out in rain so, no photos. I do take the phone on walks, but I don't want it to get wet so, no photos. And I forget to take photos of food (or don't take any because Ken is) so, no photos.

Thankfully, the wind has calmed down. The only thing as nerve wracking as torrential rain is wind-driven torrential rain. And maybe snow. They are predicting snow for Saturday, but I'm sure that it won't last long. It probably won't even stick. But today is another rain day. On a positive note, we are not in a flood zone.

Go away, Nils

Nils is the name of the storm that swept across France last night. It's still blowin' a gale out there, but the wind is starting to subside in our region. We lost power in the wee hours about 02h30; it came back around 04h30. It's still on as I type this. Fingers crossed that it stays on. The sun will be up in couple of hours and we'll get to see if all is well outdoors.

Grocery shopping

I'm planning a trip to the grocery store this morning. To do some grocery shopping. Some might call it food shopping. Others might call it going to the supermarket or, more simply, going to the market. The name of the establishment might figure in what you call it. As in going to Price Chopper or Kroger, Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. Many are open 24 hours a day. What you're getting there is implied: food.

Depending on where you live and what you like, you might also be going for alcohol. I think that most food chains in the US sell beer and wine. Food stores here in France also sell liquor. In New York state, where I grew up, there is still no wine to be had in grocery stores (supermarkets). There are state-licensed establishments for that. Since 2023, liquor and wine stores in New York can be open between the hours of 10am and 10pm on Sunday (or between 9am and midnight the rest of the week). When I was a kid, beer could not be sold before noon.

Where do you go for food? Wine and spirits? 

That's just nutty

This is the walnut tree that grows out among the grape vines behind our house. The nuts it produces each year are small and not very good. Certainly not worth the work of shelling them. That said, I used to see one of our neighbors out there gathering them from time to time. He must have had a good use for them, but I never spoke to him about it.

The walnut tree at sunrise.

Today's another three-minute day for increasing daylight. The forecast predicts dropping temperatures as the week goes on. Ugh.