I think the storm is just passing over us in SW France... Lots of wind and rain. Toots had a long run yesterday so I wont feel guilty hunkering down today...
We have had lots of rain, and some areas are flooded. Then we had more snow - which has now frozen at the front of the house, but thawed at the back! I was surprised to see a yellow crocus appear through the snow and grass in the back garden. In the wood the bluebell shoots are pushing through, and clumps of snowdrops are flowering in the old graveyard. The daffodils have flower buds too - so nature is carrying on regardless of what the weather is throwing at us! ps. I have my first dose of Astra Zeneca vaccine tomorrow!
We woke up to steady snow, and I thought I was going to have to walk to the sports centre for my vaccine. It put about 3" down, but the ground below is so wet that it quickly turns to slush where there has been any traffic. I couldn't resist taking the hounds onto the snow on the sports fields - big mistake! it looks so inviting but was lying over a layer of slimy mud, and there were lots of families turning up with sledges. Eddie was threatening to get these scary beasts off his field, so he had to stay on the lead. He can be such a bear of small brain at times. Another snow shower when we got home - and it looks as if there is still plenty more up there ^.
It’s overcast here and supposed to start raining in 3-4 hours. No rain expected tomorrow, but starting Tuesday the forecast is predicting rain 8 days in a row. The dogs are not going to like that, nor will I. Temperatures are expected to be from the high 30’s to 50 degrees. We’ve had a very dry season so far, and relatively warm, but that’s all about change. Guess I’ll be wearing my rain suit for walks and going through lots of towels to dry off the dogs.
Couple nice days here , some good sun . Around 30 deg c . Went for a forest adventure with the dogs yesterday , The day before we went on a different adventure up some bush tracks in the rain . saw a wild boar (male pig) , a sow (female) and a sucker (baby) As we were leaving on the road , so the dogs got to see them while they were on the back of the ute . Saw a few wallabies too. before we left we were walking up a track seeing if it was driveable and not too wet . Until on the side of the track I noticed all the gympie gympie stinging plants . They are extremely painful and it was too dangerous for the dogs so we turned around and went back . dogs had a good swim again today , after our afternoon walk they jumped in their clamshell pool too .
It had been dry, sunny outside although not as warm as it looked, but very cold indoors - especially as the a/c in my salon packed up so no heat. Being in lockdown and with Nir mostly retired now, I tried to find someone on the Moshav but with no joy, so gave up and telephoned him. As he said, nobody is taking much notice of lockdown - as usual - [and they wonder why the rate of infection is not going down? so he said would come and check it - and as of yesterday I have heating again. Which is A Very Good Thing as this morning it started bucketing down again and is a thoroughly miserable and damp day. The unit will probably have to be replaced at some time as the louvre at the bottom that should be able to be adjusted or put into 'swing' mode is not working, neither is the thing inside that can direct warm [or cold] air to where I want it, ie towards me, but at least I can sit here without freezing my boots off.
Looks like the weather in Europe is not doing too good. I have just been notified by DHL that there will be a delay in the delivery of something from California. Usually they stop in Leipzig, Germany, before flying on to Tel Aviv. Apparently the plane could not land in Leipzig so was diverted to Brussels, and is now stuck there on hold "due to adverse weather conditions".
The weather here has been very wet and chilly.... Took this pic today of Toots and the gang.. The Gsd is her best friend Orson, he is about one and a half years old, they play very rough games together and I always worry Toots is going to get hurt by accident. Saying that she gives as good as she gets and manages to boss him some hows... The hunting dog is only a few months old, he is new to the gang and is very gentle and kind. He probably will go into the kennels at some stage. The sausage dog thingy is a strange little guy, none of the other dogs like him that much, poor little boy...
Lovely pictures Andrew [except for the last one, assuming it is supposed to be a lane and not a stream] - thank you. Tootsy is looking great and I love the pictures of her gang - but feel sorry for the poor little "sausage dog thingy". "Sausage dog thingy indeed," says Tikva. "What a way to describe a dog with Doxie blood in him!"
The gsd is horrid to the little fellow, they both come from the same farming family and live opposite to one and other.. Orson the gsd was standing over him making the most horrid growling noise, Ive seen him pin him down and molest him.... ahhh
I've zoomed in a bit so you can have a better look at him..... He is a funny fellow for sure.... I think he knows he has very short legs and he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder....
Poor little guy - he should have had Tikva there! Yesterday, just as it was getting dark outside but before I had put the outside lights on, she had just gone out when out of the corner of my eye I saw a shape coming down the ramp - barks and screeches - she had got a very large GSD looking dog on its back, screaming its head off, with Tikva half on top of it. It managed to get up and legged it down the road - not the first time she had seen off a much larger dog but the first time I had seen her actually get one down.
He looks like a Standard Wire Haired Dachshund - like the one who was best in show at last year's Crufts. I like this variety, but I used to visit one who loved to grab your bum from behind - very painful! Perhaps the GSD is worried about the same thing happening to him.
I came across this yesterday, in a fun discussion about the bad weather people are having - the discussion was between Canadians and Americans as to who coped with winter the best. I think the Canadians won!
I have some Canadian friends from playing beer league ice hockey (adult recreational ice hockey) and this sounds about right. I live in California and in the winter my friend Jason would show up at the rink at night in shorts and flip flops. He went into the ocean on New Year’s Day, without a wetsuit