Sunday November 8th

Hey guys it’s snowing……..between 6-8 inches.
Lucky us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jen and Mike

Monday November 8th
Just to let you know that we have a real heap of snow up here. Main roads appear to be clear and the snow plough was out at 6am around the village so most side roads are not bad.
Snow chains are obligatory and the signs are up to inform you of this fact.
The Police will turn people back if they are not equipped for the weather.

I was going to start this Mumble with a bit of gossip about things up here and what I’ve been doing but the weather has overtaken me. It’s freezing. It has been snowing for a couple of days now and the place is covered in about ten inches of the white fluffy stuff [sorry I’m not metric] At least it will give a good base for the skiers. I haven’t heard what date they intend to open the resort but when I hear, you will be the first to know.

I have just returned from a few days in Guernsey with my daughters and grandsons. The drive up was good and I was surprised to see the peage is all automated. I haven’t been on the motorway for some time and was amazed how much quicker the system worked. As usual the ferry had its problems and we received a text on the Saturday night to say our 6pm ferry on Sunday had been cancelled. We were to telephone them immediately….Great…. we were in Niort and they didn’t give us a number to call. Finding the number some time later, on phoning we were told the office was closed until 9.30am the next day. And so it went on. There had been high winds in the Channel and everything was in chaos. But we were able to get on the boat at 10pm and set sail, I wish we hadn’t. It was an awful crossing.

I don’t know why people have this inbuilt urge to eat as soon as they get on board. They never wait until they find out what the sea conditions are like. Hotdogs and hamburgers are gulped down with great relish only to return half an hour later. Not pleasant travelling companions.

My journey back here was not much better. Now I know that some people have a great dislike for Ryanair and I hate to be the one to stand up and say it but they were GREAT on Thursday night.
Well their pilots were. We approached Girona with the intention of landing but there was a huge storm over the airport and surrounding areas[ Mike had driven down to collect me in 1 1/2inches of hailstones] The lightening was horrendous and seemed at times to be very close to the plane, the poor lady next to me was stunned with fright. The pilots kept us informed of all changes and plans and we were kept up to date with everything. The one thing that bothered me slightly was when he announced that it was not safe to land. Oops and no parachute.

We were taken to Reus airport where we were kept on the plane and not stuffed in a bus as I had thought. It was announced that they would re-fuel and take us back up to Girona as the storm was passing.

HURRAY for common sense and our superb Ryanair pilots who did a great job in terrible weather conditions.

I am now back in Les Angles where I don’t intend to leave for some time.

My daughter and grandson arrived a couple of weeks ago at 5.20am much to our great surprise. They had arrived at Niort to book in at the Premier Class only to find that their booking was not recognised on the computer. So she had decided to just carry on driving arriving here.

So I think the moral is never travel when I am.

My friend Netta came down a few weeks ago for a few days and we walked Lilli in the forests, collected fir cones and generally chilled out. She is the kind of friend who you don’t have to entertain but just joins in with the family. I met up with her again last week for lunch and it seemed odd to see her twice in such a short time but a delight.

In my October Mumble I mentioned an elderly gentleman who used to appear on the TV to talk about weather forecasting by looking at the trees and berries etc. Well I couldn’t remember his name, he came from North Yorkshire and appeared on the “Tonight” programme.Fortunately my friend Susan whom I must state is younger than me and therefore has a much better memory, wrote and told me his name….William Foggit.

A couple of years ago we were told that it going to be a long hard winter because the Rowan Berries were hanging like bunches of grapes, some trees had such heavy berries that their branches were touching the ground. It was quite a mild winter as I recall so I am not so sure about the form of forecasting but he used to be very entertaining. Does anyone else remember him?

I had better go and clear some snow or look as though I am helping.

Lil thinks it is great “submarining” in the deep bits and is prancing like a jumbo sized lamb.

Will write again soon

TTFN……..will have to think of another way to close as I have heard that Paris Hilton uses TTFN. Yuk!