The year is starting pretty bad. First, on the very first day of 2010, we ran out of gas, and had to spend 5 days without central heating (God only knows why in the 21st century Totalgas makes us go outside, onto our knees, lift a manhole cover, and check the gas level with a flash light... ever hear of the words "wireless" Mr. Totalgas... you've just lost a customer). Thankfully, I have a backup gas-bottle heater and a couple of electric heathers, and the "shed" building (Trish's office and guest bedroom) is electrically heated and has an electric warm water system, so at least we did not smell ripe, and we were warm.

Now Trish had to go back to work in Paris, and we woke up early this morning and all of Normandy was covered under a thick blanket of snow. The radio was saying that all roads with steep hills were closed for all traffic, and since the snow keeps coming down, we'll be stuck here for a few days.



Normandy was not made for snow, and is not prepared. They have very few snow plows, no procedures and not that much salt. Only the major roads are salted, and then only occasionally,



But Normandy sure is pretty under the snow.....