Rainair

It had to happen! I wasn’t the only one to predict it. We had visitors this week from Scotland and Ireland, coming to spend their week’s summer holiday in France with us at Chauffour. Ryanair had magnanimously charged them for suitcases full of unnecessary summer clothes and a set of golf clubs. What it hadn’t charged them for bringing with them was the weather. Rain, rain and more rain; starting within minutes of them stepping off that plane. The golf was interspersed with laborious showers and the evenings with brisk gusts and shivering temperatures. In mid July! I found it quite refreshing after a four month drought. My mentioning, in passing, that it wasn’t like this last week and that indeed it had been positively tropical with recent outrageous heat, did little to quell their disappointment.

At last the sheep can graze during the day without the blazing heat and actually have something to graze on. The dogs can be outside rather than hiding in the cooler bedrooms all day. In fact the cooler bedrooms are also a blessing too, nights of sleep without perspiration and blistering insomnia. Sitting out on the terrace working fully clothed allows my head to clear just a little more as well, when my imagination can create more than just desert scenes.

The guests leave later today and guess what? The forecast is for summer to return. Maybe we have learned a secret. Next time we get a four month drought, import some via Rain-air.