Season of mists & mellow fruitfulness

It's only been 14 deg here today and usually I'm still in shorts until at least mid-October. It's due to pick up a bit tomorrow but this is certainly the coldest I can remember for this time of the year. Altogether, it's been a bit of a strange year; one of my neighbours reminded me that we were still using our log burner at the beginning of June (albeit only in the evenings) and already he has lit his only 3 months later!

So, to follow on from the title of the topic, I'm still waiting for the "Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun" which will be most welcome when it makes finally does make a return appearance.

Hmphh ... I've had to order some oil, two months earlier than usual.
Heating was on until June and it looks as though it's going to be on again very shortly.
No cepes about either, and I'm wondering if it's the cold weather that's holding them back?

Hi Inkflo. With a bit of luck, meteo might be a bit more accurate for the next few days and we'll all be spared the ignominy and, more importantly, the expense of heating, which normally doesn't come on in our house until the end of October or the beginning of November.

If it follows most years then there is always a warm burst for around a week or so in October. I hope so, as I am off to Reuilly then for the wine and a lot of dancing  

Have to say .been here 7 years and this is the first time we have had to light the woodburner in mid september  still haveing BBQ,S,this month in other years  french metio says from sunday on sun is back for a few days [fingers crossed as the grass is growing like mad again  ]

redburmese wrote:french metio says from sunday on sun is back for a few days

Hi RB Let's hope Meteo is more accurate than usual! Yesterday, it was telling me that today was going to be sunny nearly all day.

Hi Tocyvi ,fench channels 1 or 2 are quite good on weather ,channel 3 !!!still saying sun -wed sunny   fingers crossed .

Well I'm still in shorts and singlet, and I expect I will be for another month and a half at least. That aside I did read that Sept would be worse than normal, Oct & Nov would fine or better. Then the worst winter for 10 years.

Le-Dolly wrote:Well I'm still in shorts and singlet, and I expect I will be for another month and a half at least.

Respect & admiration! I am usually, but 14 deg is just too cold for me to be dressed like that.

Must admit i have heard the winter this year is going to be a bad one ,has anyone else heard the same !!

Yes but if they can't correctly predict the weather for tomorrow, they stand no chance of getting it right for two months time!

They can't get climate change right either. So I don't think anyone knows unless they have one of those crystal balls that really works

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/10294082/Global-warming-No-actually-were-cooling-claim-scientists.html

For another view of what the 2013 Arctic sea ice melt means, the Guardian has a different view:
 
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/sep/18/how-fast-is-arctic-sea-ice-melting

and here:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/sep/18/arctic-sea-ice-shrinks-record-low?CMP=EMCENVEML1631&et_cid=49614&et_rid=8487&Linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.theguardian.com%2fenvironment%2f2013%2fsep%2f18%2farctic-sea-ice-shrinks-record-low

A couple of times this week I looked at Orange meteo & the current precipitation said 'none' yet it was actually raining at the time  

Tradzoner wrote:They can't get climate change right either. So I don't think anyone knows unless they have one of those crystal balls that really works

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/climatechange/10294082/Global-warming-No-actually-were-cooling-claim-scientists.html

Ok, so I threw the dice ten times and got two sixes which means a good autumn and a bad winter, then I cast the runes and they fell in a pattern that predicts a massive heatwave for December 25th,
then I consulted the local farmer who said his corns were playing up, so that meant six months of wet weather, the massive fir cone that hands on the shed opened and closed so fast this month that it fell to bits, the berries aren't early or later than usual, and I am still harvesting masses of mange tout beans.
So, all in all, I predict ...
Lots of weather for the next few months   

    

redburmese wrote:Must admit i have heard the winter this year is going to be a bad one ,has anyone else heard the same !!

I haven't heard it but I do hope so. I absolutely love those hand-numbing, crystal clear, blue-skied, frost-ridden winter days. There are few things in life that are more enjoyable than a long walk with the dogs, coming home to a blazing log fire and relaxing with a cup of steaming hot chocolate. Life's pleasures can be so cheap and yet so exhilarating. Bring it on!

Yes, but I'm not so keen on the "frozen deep snow for three weeks plus" type of weather when pushing a wheelbarrow full of hay twice a day in order to feed the donkeys takes all my energy! 

If your only walking the dogs and admireing the cold ,fine but when your clearing snow drifts to feed the animals every day and hauling logs in and cutting kindling ,trying to dry washing ,copeing with no electrics [happens a lot here ] :xand the road blocked with snow [they dont clear it here very quickley]so you are stuck and isolated ,no i dont enjoy a bad winter [sorry  ]

redburmese wrote:If your only walking the dogs and admireing the cold ,fine

 
No. I live here, so I do all the normal things that living here entails - shopping, gardening, chopping wood, bringing the logs in etc etc. Snowfall has never stopped me doing any of these things. It's a minor inconvenience at times - no more than that.
 

redburmese wrote:trying to dry washing

 
We manage to dry clothes perfectly well - we put them in front of the fire.
 

redburmese wrote:copeing with no electrics [happens a lot here ]

 
It happens a lot here as well but not just when it's snowing. It happens far more often when it's stormy
 

redburmese wrote:the road blocked with snow [they dont clear it here very quickley]so you are stuck and isolated

 
They don't clear the roads round here much either and there's been odd times when we've had a bit of difficulty getting out but we cope. We're not living in the Arctic Circle after all.

Well if you manage to dry all your washing includeing bedding in front of one fire good on you ,because that does not work for me [unless you have a VERY BIG FIRE  ,if you manage to drive in the snow drifts before roads are cleared [3 weeks normalimont]you must have a big 4 wheel drive [i dont ]and yes i  have lived  here to for over 7 years but would never say winters are easy !beutifull yes but never easy   

Well, being in Scotland for the last 13 years, I have learned that if I can't see the hills then it's raining. If I can see the hills it'll be raining in about 15 minutes! So am looking forward to experiencing the new climate of France VERY much!

eNJOY ,BUT REMEMBER TO STOCK UP ON FOODSTUFF AND PET FOOD IF YOU HAVE ANY -19 THE YEAR BEFORE LAST [NOT FUNNY ] 

Hi Redburmese-yes, I cleverly chose those couple of very cold weeks you had at the end of Jan/ beginning of Feb that year to come out on my first house-hunting trip!

  bet that was fun brrrrrrrr didnt put you off though