Amazing season....Autumn.

We have had some seriously mad weather over here for the last few days and I have loved it!   It's not, apparently, the remains of that terrible hurricane Sandy, which caused such devastation on the eastern seaboard of the US this week, but it has been crazy nonetheless.

I love the sky, here in Manche there is so much of it, daft I know but it is hard to explain.   In the UK the sky was just there, over here you can't fail to miss or marvel at it.   It's so high for a start, the cloud formations are enormous and one can see a weather front bearing down on you before it gets to you, it adds a certain frisson of excitement trying to outrun or out-tidy a storm front!!

A few years ago I was in my front garden and heard a roar in the distance, I thought nothing of it and put it down to the noise of one of the many tractors that pass this way every day. The noise got closer and the sky darkened and I stood mesmerised by the oncoming wall of rain heading up the road.   I have never encountered that before.   It was strange and in a way humbling, I had never really appreciated the weather as a phenomenon before, it was just "the weather", rain, drizzle, sunshine, hail occasionally and, even more rarely, snow.

Now I am fascinated by the clouds and what they foretell, I still can't tell a cumulus nimbus from a cirrus but who cares!   If they're black I take an umbrella! If they are white and fluffy and in a blue sky my daughter and I lie on our backs on the trampoline and imagine animals or other things out of them.   She is better than me of course, her imagination is childish and unfettered.   But, lying with her for a while, my self-consciousness disappears and I remember doing the same thing when I was a little girl and feel calm and at peace for a brief moment.

The trees are just starting to turn and the high winds are rapidly denuding them of their leaves, the ash leaves have nearly all gone, but the mighty oaks are hanging on in there.   I planted a silver birch in spring and she is doing well, her leaves have turned a beautiful mustard yellow and, when the sun is shining, they look like little golden hearts fluttering in the breeze.   Ohhh that was so cheesy, sorry!!

Et Voila!!...my first proper post.  xx

Intro

Hello

This is my first blog, these are my own opinions and their aim is not to offend, but to open up a healthy reasoned debate.   Should you not agree with me, I am a fairly open-minded person and if presented with a valid reason as to why you think I'm wrong I will be more than willing to change my mind!! (Ha!Ha!)

I hope you will find my blogs interesting, entertaining and maybe (but not very likely!) informative.

I will blab on about things in the UK as seen from the eyes of an ex-pat in France and I will write about France as seen from the eyes of an english immigrant.   I definately want to blog about family issues but I won't blog about crafty things.   If you are after crafty things, and aren't we all, go to the link below.  My dearest friend Nicki has started a blog on all things crafty.   I try to be arty and crafty but don't have anyway near the same level of talent as Nicki so I will leave you in her very capable hands!!

Bye for now!

xx