Glorious sunshine…

Tuesday - a dry, bright day, cold but no wind.  This morning we took a drive to Plan d'eau at Marville.

The ground is still water-logged in parts but some water has drained away. The countryside is looking green but with some stubborn snow lingering on some hillsides…

Birds are enjoying the lake and a swan spots us and comes directly to the bank…

Ice still clings to the top of a large stone at the lakeside.

Two storks have taken up residence in a nest on top of a pole in Vitaraville…

There seems to be a breath of Spring in the air and we return home feeling refreshed.

Snow - and sunshine!

Thursday.  Early-morning temperature of -7C...no wonder the snow has still hung around.  But the sun is shining!  The temperature reached the giddy heights of  -1C by midday.

Mid-morning we set off to where the three countries meet…France, Belgium and the Duchy of Luxembourg. No borders as such, of course, just notices at the side of the roads.

Parts are still covered in snow, others clear but distant views somewhat hazy.

Approaching Pillon

Approaching Longuyon

On the way back home between Azannes...

...and Damvillers.

Old windmill at Azannes...

...new windmills at Tellancourt

Strange cloud formations.

It may be cold and still snowy but how wonderful to see sunshine!

Wintry scenes

Wednesday afternoon - a quiet day, just 04C and no sun.  A lot of the snow has remained but at least not added to.  We took a drive through he wintry landscape…

...from Damvillers towards Etraye...then over a ridge of the Meuse Heights to Consenvoye, through Marre, Charny-sur-Meuse, Bras-sur-Meuse to Douamont...

Anyone for a picnic? Well the table coverings are snowy white!

...then back home via Bras-sur-Meuse and Vacherauville, returning via a different ridge of the Meuse Heights.

Indoors, we raise a glass of bubbly to the memory of our daughter on what would have been her 50th birthday. Cheers, my darling  - God bless.

After the snow...and it's return.

Today (Monday) we woke to a cold morning - around freezing - with a light covering of snow which gradually disappeared as the sky got a little brighter. By 1.00.p.m. the sun broke fitfully through the ubiquitous grey clouds.  We decided to go to Verdun to shop as the forecast for the rest of the week is pretty horrendous - snow, snow, snow and, surprisingly, coming not from the north as usual but from the south.

Apparently it has so far been the wettest winter in France for 64 years!  Fields are water-logged and rivers, big and small, have overflowed their banks.

No, not a pond - just a puddle in a field!

The River Meuse at Charny-sur-Meuse

Although there was a keen wind, for a couple of hours it was lovely to see some sunshine and blue sky with catkins glowing gold.

Now, once more, I guess it’s time to batten the hatches although, if that darned wind would only cease, it would be good to get some photos of snowy scenes.  As ever, time will tell.  

Tuesday - more overnight snow which, because of the low temperatures and the absence of sun, hung around all day. But the forecast of further snow didn’t happen as it slowly moved east and south away from our region although it remained very cold.

Wednesday - the layers of snow have hung about, with the sky lightening a little in the afternoon.  The cheering prospect is that sunshine is forecast for tomorrow!