Joan and Kelvyn's French Leave 2009

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It's 5pm on Sunday 8th Feb 2009 and there is more snow forecast within the next hour.


Well the snow did arrive but less than was expected so I guess it is work tomorrow. It has been many a year since we had such cold weather for so long, these last few years, if it has snowed it has not lasted more than a few hours.


This year (February 2009) everyone over a certain age is comparing it to years like 1966 (which I can't remember) or 1952 (which I can remember).


Even though it is still very cold it has not stopped the birds in the garden starting to look for nesting sites. I watched a couple of blue tits inspecting an old nesting box in a neighbour's garden and thought I ought to get round to putting up the one I have just bought. It has a bird-cam fitted inside, so with any luck I may be able to publish a couple of shots of the occupants later in the year.

All this is leading up to a migration of my own soon.

But between now and then I would just like to indulge myself a little and bore you with some photographs from the archives of past holidays in la belle france.

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Photos

fresh snow fall
We are expecting more snow tonight

Bingley February 2009
First snow of 2009

Five rise locks
One of several locks built on the Leeds/Liverpool canal

boutique
Some of my favourite photographs taken in France are of old shops which simply close their doors. I think they are a glimpse back in time.

The village of Azay la Rideau
Another shop owner who just decides to go on extended holiday and never to return

Farm yard in Auverne C2002
We were held up by a herd of cows on their way to this farm to be milked to make one of the local cheeses. If you could have seen this as we did I think it may put you off cheese

RNLI
This photo shows a collection box which would be the same as our own Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Photographed at the very end of a promentory of the Brittany coast of few years ago