HAS WINTER BROKEN?????

26th February, 2010 - 20th March, 2010

After what seemed to be a never-ending and miserable winter, I am pleased to report that at last we are getting a few days of some relief with less colder days and even some welcome hours of sunshine at times. We are told it has been the worst winter for 40 years and personally I don’t care if it is another 40 years before a repeat occurs. While the photos of the snow appear pretty and Christmas-like, after weeks of never-ending snow, ice, sleet and overcast days with showers I can sure do without them.

Luckily our mooring has been very secure up against the bank with two other barges moored outside us so we get quite a lot of shelter and being able to use the bank to store our logs and firewood means that easy access was a plus. Our log burner has been on almost 24/7 plus the radiators which we ignite early in the mornings until the boat warms by about 10.00am. With the water supply pipes being in danger of bursting through the freezing cold, supply was cut off by management on Christmas Eve so it has been a case of requesting once a week for special hoses to be run from a distribution point so as to fill up the tanks and to get containers of drinking water to cover our needs for the off days.

This was another nuisance which added to my uncomfortableness when I had my dose of bronchitis and as you all know, when it is cold and miserable, it is so much harder to get on top of an illness, however, that is now all behind me I trust.

It is amazing how one adapts to what seemed to be unkindly conditions although Rhonda enjoyed the colder temps so we are poles apart on this but she did particularly well by keeping busy with her new found interest of painting and has turned out some works which are really good considering that she has never held a paint brush before. Joining a group of local folk she goes each week to a get-together so receives support and advice if required from other group members. A couple of weeks ago I joined the Card Making Group (the only male to do so) and I am enjoying turning out cards which have that personal touch and look pretty good even if I do say so myself.

Rhonda's Comment: Van Gough eat your heart out - but I won't cut my ear off for anyone.

Two weeks ago we were asked to go with a local teacher to a High School in Auxonne along with an Australian couple to address the English learning class and to talk about our respective countries. It was pretty interesting doing the research into our own home country to make a presentation which they could understand and to be of interest. They all knew about the name All Blacks and Lord of the Rings but really had no idea of where New Zealand lies in relation to France or Australia and were horrified to learn that the flight time from Paris to Auckland is approx 27 hours. We used a big white map we had drawn of New Zealand and on which Rhonda added points of interest to as we talked to them. The teacher was pretty impressed which made it somewhat even more worthwhile and in their test held a few days later the students scored pretty well so at least some of the facts stuck for them.

We have each read a number of books and watched more DVDs than we have ever done and a few weeks ago I bought a guitar and have started learning again from the internet which is fun, however, I have copped plenty from my mates here who have given me the knick name of Hunk Mervin (apologies to Hank Marvin of the Shadows) so coupled to the usual tasks and gadding about, we have passed the time ever so quickly really.

Rhonda's Comment: He even has the steps.

With the lightening of the skies it has become time to get on with those spring cleaning tasks of which there seems to be many to do on the boat so that we can be ready to move out of here in sparkling condition when we make our way south for the next 12 month period. Rhonda and I are excited about the prospect of visiting all the towns and cities en route via the Soane River and then the mighty Rhone and later on to making the trip across France on the Canal du Midi to Bordeaux then back to Moissac where we will winter over but more about that as time goes by.

Rhonda's Comment: The Bay City Strollers

We have some friends coming to stay onboard for varying periods during the cruising season, so the summer will go by with a real mixture of adventure, new experiences, good food and a fair amount of wine tasting I guess with lots of chat added.

If you ever want to see what the Canal du Midi is like and what is on offer for that region, get hold of a copy of Rick Steins “French Odyssey” DVD. It is fascinating and while you may not be a fan of all of his cooking (you can fast forward past those) you will sure get a good feeling for what we will see and experience.

During the past 6 months of wintering over here at H20, we have to say that the boating folk have been quite wonderful. When I was ill a couple of mates came over to our boat and cut my logs into easy to handle lengths for Rhonda and to see what else we needed done. As one of them spoke French pretty well, we were also able to use his services when we were getting the car fixed and so on. Our French has only slightly improved. Lazy, I guess but it is not easy to learn but we will get there. We will sure miss Joe and Jana when we move from here. Thanks also must go to Terry and Sandra, David and Pamela. Some other folk even went shopping for us while they were in England buying up some special foods we like and which aren’t available here and some hardware which we had seen in UK catalogues so brought the items back with them to us here. Thanks to Richard and Vivienne.

Rhonda's Comment: Oh what a night.

We have enjoyed eating some great meals on other folks boats and having them over to us in return as well and the other night we were able to have 10 people aboard for dinner and to celebrate Jo’s 50th birthday (yes, I can remember mine --- I think). He bought his electronic keyboard and another mate Terry brought his bass and rhythm guitars so with all the good food and wine supplied by all attending, we had a great evening of fellowship and it was good to be able to return a favour. Jo’s wife Jana brought over with her some fireworks which were lit to the North so we could imagine what the Northern Lights might be like (much wine was had before we did this as you can imagine!!!) but poor Harry thought he might come out to see the action but when the first sky rocket went soaring into the sky, Harry took to the boat, couldn’t get up the ramp because people where standing on it so took an almighty jump from the shore but did not quite make it and into the water he went. After my panic and others saying “he’s in the water”, Ken said “come on Harry get out of there” and out he scrambled, shook himself and casually walked up the ramp and on board looking back as if saying “you lot do the funniest things”.

Harry's Comment: "I'm not impressed"

On the odd occasion we splash out and go to a local restaurant for a meal just for a change from being on the boat, however, we do have to watch the pricing. Just to give you an idea, generally the Plate du Jour which is the main luncheon and dessert is usually around E11.00 equals NZ $22.00 and coffee is often charged at E 3.00 a cup (NZ $6.00) and even the wine served can be expensive with a 250 mls carafe being E6.00, (NZ $12.00) for pretty ordinary wine (price at the local supermarket at around E3.00 a bottle) so while it is nice to go out, one has to watch the costs. We have noticed that even the workers who make the midday meal their main hot meal will order a small carafe of red wine and then dilute it down 50% with the free water.

It is unusual here too in so much as if you go to a Café or Tabac for coffee they don’t have any eats so you have to go to the closest bakery and buy something which you take to the café with you. The odd place might offer a small croissant but this is rare. Nobody does breakfasts like we were used to in New Zealand or Australia. Gone are the weekends when we could go and spread out the Sunday papers and enjoy a full cooked breakfast wasting away a morning. We see people using the Tabacs for a coffee plus a cognac or similar to get the pipes open on their way to work but not eating anything. No wonder the population is generally a whole lot less likely to be overweight than us plus they walk so much. It is rare to see overweight people, particularly women so we feel quite embarrassed (well almost anyhow).

We are always commenting how the women take so much care with their dress and fashion. They seem to know just how to dress to show off their features and use scarves and hats, jackets, coats shoes and boots to get the best look. Even the children’s fashions are remarkable and beautiful but also expensive. We have always noticed that in the supermarkets there are huge racks of stockings and pantyhose of all sorts and styles and these are certainly bought and worn by all the women particularly in winter but also in summer when they are dressing up for some occasion.

People who have been staying here or visiting for years acknowledge how the prices have risen over the past 4 years. Why didn’t we make this adventure happen a few years earlier ?????


Harry's Comment: Another day, another city, another country. (In Geneva, Switzerland)

Rhonda had a fall a few days ago when she tripped over a small ledge in the footpath and of course landed on her knees which have always given her bother anyhow, so she is going to need some real treatment to overcome the swelling and bruising which is apparent now. We are sure hopeful that she does not find the damage causes her limitations to long term movement and activity like walking etc.

The French have this saying that unlike in New Zealand etc where one would report this stupidly set curb to the authorities and where you could likely lodge a claim for damages, the authorities here have a saying which means that “you should take care”. This even applies to the huge potholes and lack of footpath areas which are prevalent at the moment due to the rain and snow and even the roads. I guess it is one way of keeping down the claims etc. We drove into a water filled pothole yesterday which I guarantee was close to 300mm deep and felt as though the cars steering was damaged for a moment or two until I was able to regain control.
Compare this to in England where a claim has just been settled for a women who was attending a school activity day and entered in the mothers race all supposed to be in fun for the kids, however, she tripped over and broke her ankle so sued the school and got $2500.00 plus the lawyers fees which were $5000.00. All out of public money of course.
Amazing isn’t it.

Well after talking about the warmer weather arriving, I knew I shouldn’t have opened my mouth. The other day I biked off to the supermarket for Rhonda and while the breeze was cold it wasn’t too bad but by the time I had finished shopping for a few things I came out to find it snowing like crazy and in the 5 minutes it took me to cycle home I became a real snowman and since then the temps stayed around 5 degrees so the fire was back on full bore again.



Well as you can guess we had well had enough of this winter weather so when the forecast advised us that the weather would be good in the French Alps we took our friends Graham and Iris from Dijon and drove our bucket of bolts via Geneva to Chamonix some 5 hours away via the scenic route. It is amazing that we actually had to go through a part of Switzerland and then back into France to go to this wonderful place set high in the French Alps. The city of Chamonix is set in a valley at 1035 m and it is mind-boggling to look up and onwards up to the peaks which are on both sides and the steepness and the closeness to the city is mind boggling. No wonder it was chosen for the very first winter Olympics. Mount Blanc, 4810m, was right at our door of our chalet, so to speak and while it was a bit cloud bound on our arrival over the next few days the weather cleared so we were able to enjoy the crystal days and views which are quite stunning. I sure have never seen anything like it before. It makes the Remarkable Mountain Range in Queenstown look a bit ordinary in comparison.

We took the Rack and Pinion Train from the station which is set at 1096m and it climbed along the mountain face at a slope of between 11 to 22 degrees for 20 minutes to drop you at a viewing platform overlooking the glaciers, peaks and valleys from a stop point at 1913m. The views are just stunning as you look down onto the Mer de Glace which is Europe’s largest glacier. Opposite you see mountains of up to 4200 m piercing the cobalt blue skies. Below many ski slopes and chair lifts are operating flat out and I guess there were a thousand or more skiers up in the area judging by the numbers who offloaded from the train and could be out on the snow, etc. Looking out onto the glacier valley you can see so many (ants) or skiers who have come right across from the Italian side of the Alps and ski across this fabulous area some arriving at the cable car exhausted after the long run while others carried on to pick up stations below. From this viewing gallery you can ride a cable car down onto the ice and wander along into the Ice Caves which are huge and contain ice sculptures and pictures form history etc. New ice Caves are dug every year due to the movement of the glacier over the 12 month period. The ride in the cable car is breathtaking as it seems to fall over the edge and you ride straight down for 3 mins to the base of the glacier and from there follow a path to the caves.

Up at the main base there is the usual collection of cafes and a Grand Hotel which was built in 1880 and is where those with lots of money stay. I hope the photos at least give you some idea of how beautiful the whole area is and is worth anybodies time and money to visit.

While there we travelled to Annecy which is reported to be the Venice of France. With the town situated on a beautiful lake of which I have never seen clearer or cleaner water anywhere and even the canal which runs up through the town is clean and lovely and in summer the bridges and buildings are massed in plantings and pots of flowers like geraniums and other great colourful plants. It may not be Venice but it is surely a pretty place for the tourists to visit.

Rhonda's Comment: Love the reflection in the window.

Finally on day 4 we left Chamonix to go to Geneva in the hope of buying some fine Swiss chocolate but due to our navigator getting a bit confused we got onto a toll way which the border authorities demanded that we pay E 27.00 just to drive through so after some arguing they turned us back into France and we got to Lake Geneva’s shores on the French side but had lost so much time we could only have sandwiches on the waterfront and then headed off for the trip home via Dijon on their toll-way. E 22.00 was the charge for this which allowed us to cut 2 hours off the journey so all in all the trip was just magic and I am sure the great memories will stay with us forever.

Harry's Comment: Time for a haircut Mum!!

Well it is back to the steady life of boat living and lo and behold since our return to Saint Jean-de-Losne, the weather here has taken a huge step forward to sun and temperatures as high as 17 degrees so every one is starting to do their spring cleaning and getting their boats up and ready to head off for the cruising season. Yeah. Let it roll on as soon as possible. We plan to get out on 1st April so hope all the locks are open and the river is not flooding. To celebrate with the other boaties who have wintered over and with those who like us will be leaving, we plan to have a big BBQ next Sunday to say “Cherrio” etc so the next blog from us should be at one of our stopovers en route for the Canal du Midi region in the south of France, so meantime, “Oo-Roo” as the Aussies say. Take care and we wish you all the very best for your forthcoming winter or summer depending which part of the world you are from.

You all have our email address, so please drop us a line and let us know what is spinning your wheels in your part of the world. We look forward to hearing what you have been up to and any news of what is happening. We get so disappointed when it is only a joke and no news.

Love to all, Ken, Rhonda and Harry

FRANCE IN WINTER MODE

From 19 December 2009 to 16 January 2010

Just sitting here looking at all the fellows in their shorts and singlet’s, beers in hand while their ladies, who are dressed in not a lot more, sprawled out under umbrellas enjoying the blue skies and hot sun. The temperatures are reported to be in the mid 30’s so who can complain. Hang on a minute, sorry folks, I am actually watching the cricket test in South Africa on telly while in actual fact we are freezing our little bums off. Grey skies, 50mm of snow at least and tonight it is freezing to 12 below so all the snow which has been falling for the past 3 days is turning into a big slippery surface which is a trap for the unfamiliar so lots of falls or stumbles are being experienced.

While it is all very pretty and some big kids like Rhonda have been out building snowmen, I have to be honest and say I would rather be at the cricket test than sitting here.

Rhonda's Comments: I love it - bring it on.

“Somewhere” is lovely and warm with both the heated radiator system and the log burner going we could grow tulips inside but we do get out and about in the car or take a walk for Harry’s sake to get some real fresh air.

Rhonda's Comments: "Mum drags me through the snow - just as well I can warm up by the fire."

Harry loves to tear about in the snow and has great fun with the local staff at the H2o workshops who enjoy tossing snowballs at him while he skitters in one door and out the other. He thinks they are there purely for his entertainment and enjoyment, I think.


It is much colder than last year when we were at Penton Hook in London and it was late January before we got any real drops of snow there. Icicles of up to around 200mm hang from our wheelhouse roof and while it is supposed to be less cold tomorrow with rain coming we surely will get more snowstorms this winter.

















On Thursday evening 17th December, we drove some 10 kms out of town to a small hamlet where the local Gite (rooms for holiday let) had been hired by our River Rats Social Committee for a Christmas Dinner party which was just wonderful as they decorated it out beautifully with everybody contributing a plate of hot or cold food plus desserts and wine etc.

















Our friends Grahame and Iris who have their own boat wintering over in Dijon came down by train to stay with us so as to be able to attend as well. It was great to have them and in addition a couple of local French couples came along as well which also added to the good fun of the evening. We were seated at tables of up to 6 people so the chat was loud and so much fun that if any one didn’t enjoy themselves they would be hard to be pleased.


As this was the first day of the snows arrival, it was a bit unnerving driving in the continuous flurries, however, we negotiated the trip without any untoward incident but I was glad that I had stuck to water and soft drinks at the dinner. Yes, soft drinks, can you believe it? But I made up with the amount of great food I ate I think. A very nice evening anyhow and it was great to be made so welcome as newcomers to the area.

Christmas day dawned fine but cold and after a night of strong winds and storms almost all of the snow had melted so we didn’t get a white Christmas but not far off. The ice was still on the water of the canal and the port and any surfaces which were metal or plastic were extremely slippery so care was the call.

Rhonda's Comments: There will be no going out for a drive today!!

It was lovely to get early morning phone calls from Michelle, Thelma, Russ, Grahame Smith and then Kerry Anderson later in the day so while these calls made us feel a bit homesick it was sure good to talk to them all enjoying their summer weather and good temperatures with BBQs and other typical hot Christmas weather activities. In addition to the phone calls we received lots of Christmas emails from all around the world so were spoilt really.

In this photo: Allan, Ken, Sandra and Terry

In this photo: Ann and Janna

Rhonda and I had thought that we would be having a very a quiet day onboard “Somewhere” on our own as most folk seemed to have their own families or visitors to spend time with, but following an invite to have aperitifs with Lawrence and Ann (Ann is Rhonda’s Art teacher and also runs the Walking Group) who also have a lovely home some 12ks from here where they had prepared delightful snacks and so on, some of the other attendees insisted that we join them at a local restaurant for a typical French 3 course meal. This we did and it was sure a couple of hours of good food, wine and company with lots of laughter and banter so by the end of the day we were stuffed with food and drink so the evening meal was passed by and walking Harry was the only answer to our over-indulgence which he didn’t mind at all.

The Christmas decorations used by the local authorities was very good and added that touch to lift a fairly dull scene at night but also a lot of homes were decorated as well and lit with fairy lights and so on. There seems to be a propensity here for inflatable Father Christmases to be tied to upstairs railings etc in various poses which is quite novel. Even roadside bushes are decorated by the locals with tinsel and imitation wrapped presents which again amaze us that nobody interferes with them at all. We have a lot to learn in New Zealand about respect of other people’s property for sure.


The days seem to slip by so quickly and with the temperatures lifting a bit, the snow just started to melt away and we could resume normal activities which was good. Sadly the rains then arrived and set in for the next week so the grounds soon turned to slush and mud. Our cycling activity “The Grey City Rollers” went out the window as did the walking group “The Grey City Strollers” on a couple of days but we seemed to find that trips to the supermarkets stocking up for New Years Eve became a priority for all those essentials. Amazing isn’t it as the shops only close for one day here (no Boxing Day is acknowledged).


While on the subject of supermarkets there are four in Saint Jean-de-Losne and another about 7kms away in Blazey-en-Plaine, so I think shopping outings to the supermarkets must be the centre of social activity as it is the case of, spot the locals anywhere, as you pass through these towns or villages. At these supermarkets you will not find any shopping trolleys lying about in the car-parks as you have to put a Euro into the trolley lock to detach its chain clip from the ones in front so to get your Euro back when you have unloaded the shopping into your car or whatever you have to return the trolley to the designated area and hook up again thus releasing the coin. It sure makes for tidier parking areas and surrounds.

Inside the supermarkets or even in most stores there are no plastic or other types of shopping bags supplied at all so as you can imagine it is vital to use a trolley as even if they have shopping baskets available inside, you cannot take them through the checkouts as they are security coded and the bells ring if you try to bypass this secure area. Even for small amounts of shopping it is a case of taking your own carry bags or else you are left standing at the end of the checkout area with all your groceries, and trying to stack them onto your arms and no, you cannot use the emptied cartons as you can in New Zealand supermarkets as they are removed by staff as soon as they are emptied.
Rhonda's Comments: A midget snowman.

We are still working out what some foods are called in French which can make finding particular items and or selection sometimes difficult. It is rare to find a staff member who speaks or understands English let alone knows what product you may be seeking. It is amazing how much ill feeling there must be between the English and French and vice versa. You can pick up so many products, particularly those which are packeted or canned and read the labels in anything up to 6 languages but not English. They seem to avoid using it like the plague which is a pity and we are so sure they must lose millions of Euros in lost sales as English speaking people often just bypass the product until they can get it from the UK or wherever. It is ironical really that all the messages over the shops PA systems are only in French but more than half of the songs being played are in English so I am not sure how they reconcile the two.

In this photo: Ken, Terry, Sandra, Pat, David, Steve and Ushi

Well we got to New Year’s Eve which turned out to be reasonably fine with a full moon so Rhonda and I walked into town at 9.00pm to meet with some other friends and to go to Sylvie and Gerard’s (long term supporters of the canal bargees group) family’s home for celebrations. It was a marvellous evening with the usual, lots of food and drink and music (mainly English as one of our mates controlled the stereo for the evening). After eating and drinking, as New Year’s Eve got close to midnight, the hosts presented everyone with a hat to put on. Goodness only knows what it meant or where they collected so many hats from which we wore for, the rest of the evening.
Rhonda's Comments: The mad hatters!!!

We all joined in to play Charades which is something I have never been very keen on, however, it all went so well and it was a lot of fun and it was 3.30am before we realised it. I haven’t stayed up that late for 40 years I am sure, so we wobbled off to our boat having had such a great evening. Harry was keen to see us when we got home but then it was a case of taking him for a 15 minute walk in Zero degrees then to bed around 4.00am. I have to be honest and admit to having a bit of an overhang in the morning and in truth I don’t think the hangover really started until around noon. Gee I hate it when this happens so I will cancel next year’s New Year celebrations in preparedness.

In this photo: Jo, Ken and Germaine

Amongst our fellow boaters we find more and more people of talent and one of them being our mate Terry who is a dab-hand at producing semi-abstract portraits. When Rhonda admired one that he had done for another couple, art teacher and husband, almost within hours Terry presented the following portraiture of her at the New Year's Eve party - a great skill for sure.


Fully recovered at last and the day has dawned fine and clear so we are off to explore some new territory so Rhonda chose for us to visit the area of La Rochepot to view the famous chateau which is quite splendid perched on the bluffs above the town. Showing off its multi-coloured roofing style where the tiles come from various sites thus enabling the builders of the day to ensure that when the sun is shining the colours stand out so well and the chateau can be seen for miles. It was first constructed in the 14th century and of course has been extensively added to and renovated over the following periods.


Louis the 11th king of France took all the wine grown in the local area back to the Chateau as he apparently liked it so much he didn’t want “the ordinary people” to enjoy this tipple. He would be hell bent to manage that today as this special Burgundy area now produces over 40 million bottles of what is generally acknowledged and rated as probably the best wines overall in the world with a particular white wine called Montrachet which stands alone at the head of the list. Alexandre Dumas the famous French writer reported that this wine should only be drunk by “bareheaded folk while on bended knee”. Well I must admit to following this instruction similarly on the odd occasion many years ago.

















To travel through this area is mind blowing with some of the walls dividing various vineyards dating back to the 11th century so one can only imagine what great stories they have witnessed. The little towns which dot the landscape are also so old with many of the homes and buildings almost touching each other it is all but impossible to get vehicles down many of the streets. The stone houses which vary so much in size of course serve a very real need providing accommodation to the various growers and workers plus the land owners. Looking across thousands and thousands of acres of nothing but vineyards growing up the slopes is quite breathtaking and it is amazing when you consider that heavy snow is certainly not uncommon.

The other thing one notes is that there is no irrigation to any of the vines which may be part of the reason as to why the grapes are so sweet and so high in the beaume count thus producing fantastic wines for us all to enjoy. The colours of the country are varied depending on what vines are grown in a particular areas and even though we are right in the throws of winter now, many vines still carry their old branches and laterals, hence the colour assortments.

Apparently in summer this area is choked with visitors from around the world who come to stay to sample and buy the wonderful vintages. It seems as though every second building is a winery (called caves) with tastings and sales reaching millions of dollars so from what appear to be uninhabited towns now spring to life and enjoy a great bustling period. Surely this must be a place for any wine connoisseurs not to miss in any visit to the territory. We sure hope to make a lengthy return when the weather gets better and before we head south for the coming cruising season.

Sadly upon our return from that delightful visit and a particularly cold spell and huge dump of snow, I got hit with what I thought was just a chill or a good old cold, however, eventually after spending 3 days confined to bed we determined that we would have to brave it and break out to go to our local doctor who said I had bronchitis so it has been a week of total bedrest with so much medicants so am hoping for some improvement over the next few days. Costs to visit doctor E 22.00, medicants, E 93.00 totalling equal to around NZ$230.00 so it sure pays to look after one’s health. For visitors intending to travel to such areas it is imperative to have your own full travel and or health insurance.

On a positive note, I must make and pay tribute to Rhonda who despite the cold, the snow and the ice, had to take over all those usual male run boat roles and has developed new skills like wood collecting from outside where we have the logs stacked under tarpaulins to dragging half frozen hoses to a connecting point so we can top-up tanks and to getting fresh water from the collection point and then to flush out systems etc. It sure takes time and effort, not to mention a lot of skill to work your way along the steel decks when they are covered in snow and/or ice laden with wood or hoses or brushes when fully rugged up in boots, jackets, coats, caps and gloves which sure don’t allow easy movement or balance when you are not used to effecting such chores. On top of this has of course has been the need for Harry to be taken for walks three times a day including in the dark evenings with snow and sleet flying about the place. Complaining? Who’s complaining? This is just the way it is and the need to adapt is just a part of this new adventure.

We have had visits from fellow bargees popping in to see if we are ok and enquiring if they can assist which is just typical of the care and consideration we find on these waterways.

Well there are signs today that we may be going to experience a good melt so fingers crossed and hopefully by the time of our next blog we will be reporting to you on the famous spring flowers and conditions. Some signs are already in place of bulbs bursting through the all but frozen garden beds. Sadly though due to the extreme cold, thousands, if not millions of birds have frozen to death through freezing to the trees they are perching on or starving to death due to lack of food so I know in England and so on there are repeated requests for people to buy food to spread to try to minimise the total loss of some varieties of theses little creatures. Cattle are of course held in barns, some of them huge, housing up to 100 cattle beasts and in food shelters where they just while away the days eating and awaiting their final destiny. Oh well enough of the maudlin side of life. All will move on for sure.

Meantime, to those of you who are in the south experiencing really hot temperatures we wish you a great long summer and to those who are experiencing the worst winter of 40 years in northern Europe, we say hang in there, better things are on the way.

Enjoy the pictures and take care as we roll into 2010.

Rhonda's Comments: "I'm pooped"