France

[Jardiniere]

how come you've had so much rain Tony? until last night and today (daughter just arrived for a week) we had not any to speak of for weeks.......

[roitelet]

Really really dry her and praying for rain but not until after next week end when the small grand children have gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TonyF]

Really really hot here today already, was out cutting grass and strimming this morning at 8 but too hot to do anything now, meteo set for about 35 locally with storms later this evening.

Jardiniere, it's all to do with the valley, air streams and the like apparently, one of the reasons the Dordogne/Vesere valleys are so fertile.

And with the rainwater and a bit of judicious spraying late at night, everything is doing well here but the allotment is really struggling because our muppet partner there is too busy socialising (i.e. sitting round the pool with his/her mates and chums getting wrecked, at 64 they should know better) to remember to water the bloody thing or to organise an automated system, so I'm going to put one in next week, getting really hacked off with all the work I'm doing getting nowhere!

[Jardiniere]

but i'm in a valley too - and its been like the sahara here - we had loads of rain last Sunday and since ...nothing at all and it is SO SO HOT - the thermostat on our window sill showed 51 degrees this pm - its still 32 out there and its almost 10 o clock!!!!! I havent gardened for weeks .............cant weed! Break out in a sweat after two seconds....grandaughter and eldest daughter have now left - youngest daughter and her bloke arriving Thursday for the weekend ..they want HOT - bet it rains!!!!

[TonyF]

Well, just to complicate matters, canicule declared for most of southern France and some temps today are reported as potentially dangerous.

And this morning it's warm here, getting hot - and we had a short storm! But I'll have to water this evening.

[Rodley]

We have our sons and grandchildren here for the last couple of weeks. Hence the potager has got a little neglected. It has been soooooo dry and I didn't have much time to water. Some of the plants are suffering (late peas have largely been a huge disappointment because I couldn't give them enough water). OH is, however, complaining that we have too many veggies (freezers are nearly full) so she may be happier than I about the lighter crops!
An aside - this weekend we went in our motorhome over to see the Millau bridge and Gorges de Tarn - the trip back was illuminating in that as we drove through the various departments there was a definite climatic trend in each department. eg the trees in the Lot were really showing the effects of drought in that many of their leaves were turning autumnal - it looked pretty but I just wonder if they will survive if this carries on.

[Jardiniere]

which way did you travel Rodley - did you come along the road through Limogne and Concot and into Cahors......you were close to us if you did.....trees are going golden on the causse above us but are still green in the valley ...we drove into cahors monday am and it had been raining in La Magdelaine but not in our village and not in Cahors ...very odd...
allegedly 41 degrees tomorrow.....shall spend afternoon in neighbour's pool and evening on another neighbour's terrace drinking gin i hope....
havent had a notice to tell us not to use hosepipes etc but guess we will.....might go sit under a farmer's sprinkler........ooh matron!

[Rodley]

We took the road passing Rodez, Villefranche de Rouergue, Cahors, Villeneuve (mainly D911). Not a bad road, a bit twisty especially through the Lot, but it is scenic and we weren't in a hurry to get back.
The colour of the leaves varied from orange, through to dark red. I must say that I think we could do with some of Tony's rain. The rain that had been forecast for us on Friday has disappeared, so it looks like the hose will continue to be used - especially on those winter cabbages that I transplanted yesterday!

[Rodley]

Just checked the canicule situation on

http://france.meteofrance.com/vigilance/Accueil

The Lot, Lot et Garonne and Dordogne depts are only on yellow alert (no canicule declared). Tarn et Garonne is on orange (and is declared as having a canicule). But no department is on red alert yet.

[roitelet]

Sorry I haven't posted for a while but have had the usual influx of summer visitors. I do wish that they would realise that they might be on holiday but I am NOT.

Anyway they have gone now and the dust has settled. We are praying for rain until we have corns on our knees! Everything is scorched and brown. The water buts are nearly empty as is the underground tank. Some things are surviving, how I don't know.

One bright bit though, The first lot of baby rabbits are doing fine, ducks are ready for the freezer and tomorrow if I am lucky the Quail eggs should hatch and the pervisions from Meteo France are for RAIN.

[bobleponge]

Well, back to work and I have had some rain here I can tell you.
However for the 5 weeks I was back at home, I can only remember a couple of bits of rain, certainly nothing of importance.
Most days dawned a bit cloudy but that soon burned off and it was hot hot hot all day.
The water butts were pretty much empty when I left, and I have 5 of the things, and all the fruit this year.... never known a year like it.

[Jardiniere]

rained here today and its been cloudy all day ..might get some gardening done tomorrow ..first time in weeks and weeks and weeks...have bought a new freezer and am filling it with tomatoes, tomato puree, passata, tomato soup, ratatouille.....

[roitelet]

Well it has finally rained, not a lot (14mm) but it all helps. The butts are filling and even with so little things are already looking better.

Quail didnt hatch so think I will give up on that one.

[roitelet]

Well we have had some rain so I'm not complaining too much. but this morning we had the first FROST. Any of you ex-pats had one yet?

[Nicos]

YUP!!!!

It went down to -2C last night here- it was really pretty at dawn!
Looking a bit sad now though- cos the flowers are all a drooping and my tomato plants look like they've finally had it too

Can't believe I've been picking toms until yesterday!!!
Tuesday was my OH's birthday and we sat outside in T shirts eating lunch


( speaking of eating roitelet...you able to come and eat with us soon???)