Weird weather goes on

Thanks to those who have commented on the posts about the weather. We actually had sun today. Some of us were afraid and hid inside because we weren't sure what that large yellow thing in the sky was.

Unfortunately, it went directly from cold and rainy to hot and humid! Although it is now clouding up again and the weather gods (Meteo France) seem to be showing thunderstorms for later on and also for later this week.

We're supposed to go to Paris for a family function next week and I was ready to cancel my ticket and let JM go on his own. That's because the first kennel that we found, while nice, was going to leave the dogs mostly out exposed to the weather with only a doghouse to protect them.

Now, Shmoo would probably not have had a big problem with an arrangement like that, but I don't think Maggie would have been comfortable. Given her age, her arthritis and the fact that she has been living a pretty cushy life since coming to us, I was worried she would get sick or be too stiff to move if the weather was bad. Before I made up my mind though, we decided to check around and have now found another kennel that makes us feel much more confident. They have a nice, indoor run as well as access to a great outdoor space during the day. The people are there all the time and the two dogs can be together, which I know will make a difference.

I suppose it seems silly to anyone who doesn't have a pet for me to worry so much, but I feel that we can't just abandon them to any old conditions when they've been used to a certain level of comfort.

It has been difficult to find good accommodation here because most people leave their pets with family or friends when they go away. It's very hard for us to ask someone to watch 2 dogs though, especially one that is Shmoo-sized! And, if anything happened to the dogs while we were gone, it would not only leave us heartbroken, but wouldn't do a lot for the friendship either.

I think that now, with more people moving to the area from cities in France as well as the UK and the States, that the kennel situation is starting to improve. As more and more of us demand higher quality care, it will come. I think that's a good thing.

Ciao for now.

Randy

Nostalgia

JM and I had one of those odd, nostalgia moments last night. We had taped a documentary called THE SCI-FI BOYS about how the early SF films influenced an entire generation of fimmakers.

Here we were, sitting in our cozy TV room in la France profonde, watching a film filled with people we know personally from our years in Los Angeles. It gave us both the oddest sensation. True, we had drifted more into the comic book arena and away from films during the last years we were in L.A., but it reminded us of a time in our lives when the city, the country and we were all so different.

Part of it was seeing that some of the subjects interviewed had aged so drastically since we last saw them. We, of course, have remained the same; haven't you? It is only others who age!

Remembering all the great (and not so great) genre films of our childhood was also bittersweet. Sure, cgi effects are great and you can do impressive things, but the charm of make-up, stop motion and other techniques added to what you were watching, even if sometimes they were a bit on the cheesy side.

I couldn't help but think about how Roger Corman's FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER affected me so strongly that I couldn't go from my bedroom to the kitchen alone at night because I just knew something was lurking in the darkened living room.

I would rather still be afraid of that unknown something than the very real things that frighten us as adults...

Ciao for now.

Randy

Enough already!

Rain is important. We need rain. I understand, really I do. But could we not have a LITTLE bit of sun? Just for a day or two? Maybe? Please?

Everyone is starting to feel as if they are mildewing. My shoes haven't had enough time to dry out all week. Yes, we had half-a-day of sun on Thursday and again yesterday, but it doesn't last and isn't enough to make us feel as if we're getting a break.

As it is, there are practically no cherries this year because we didn't have enough freezing for the fruit to set. Now, who knows what will grow this summer because there isn't enough sun. It's all bizarre at the moment.

I feel particularly bad about the weather, as our good friends, Peter and Margaret have spent months planning for Peter's 70th birthday bash. 25 of their friends came mostly from the UK to spend 3 days celebrating and enjoying our beautiful countryside. The bash was great, the weather a pure misery!

And, our Irish friends on Cours Sully are in town and finding the whole thing a bit of a bummer as well. It's hard to go out and enjoy the various local festivals that start in earnest at this time of year when you feel you need hip boots to even get out of your car.

Surprisingly, the downpour of Thursday night did not stop the villagers from going out to our Theatre Municipale to see the annual performance of our local Chorale. We went and enjoyed it along with over 100 of our neighbors. It was very nice to see so many folks making an effort to get out and support the hard work of the Chorale.

Still, I bet a month from now we'll all be complaining about the hideous heat and wishing the cold and rain would return.

What can I say? We're human, which means we're never satisfied.

Ciao for now (and don't forget your umbrella)

Randy