France in May
Oh dear what is happening with the weather? We are in France for the week and normally at this time of year we have gorgeous sunny days and we go back to the UK feeling our summer has really begun. Not this week though. Yesterday was sunny enough but there was a cold wind blowing so it felt more like early April and this morning we have woken up to rain again.
Usually the fields all around us full of abundant growth of sun flower plants, corn, wheat and rye but right now the corn plants are small, yellow and not looking good and the farmers haven’t even planted the sun flowers yet. The lanes all round are thick with walnut trees and when we go home after Easter their branches are bare, they are the latest tree to come into leaf here, but normally 5 or 6 weeks later when we get back the leaves are out and tiny nuts are set. This year though the leaves are only just appearing and no sign yet of any nuts.
Our neighbours say the weather has been terrible now for weeks, the farmers are all worried as nothing is growing and their crops will be seriously behind if the summer doesn’t arrive soon. It is most concerning if we think about climate change and all the news from around the world that reports unusual weather patterns.
One positive thing for us, selfish I know, is that we have got to see and enjoy our patch of irises this year that we never normally see as they are usually finished when we get down here. A minor consolation and nothing that helps the farmers.
