Rain, Rain, GO AWAY

Drip, drip, drip

The area has received 300 mm of rain in the past 48 hours--that translates to about 12 inches of rain in two days. They cancelled the school buses down in Couiza and Quillan.  It really does feel like Brookings.  Only my addiction to the newspaper could pry me out of my nest today.  I multi-tasked--and took out the recycling and the garbage from yesterday's soup-making marathon.  Fortunately I had to walk only to the end of the block and home. 

The rain prompted a great conversation with the lady in the tabac this morning, as I was getting my newspaper. She is wonderful about taking the time to speak French with me, and being patient with all my stumblings.  I asked her if this weather was normal and she told me yes.....AHHHHH!  I told her that it did this where I lived from November through April, and I had come here to escape.   She couldn't believe such a place existed. There is even some snow in the forecast, but I think we will be back to some sunshine next week.  The leaky skies forced me into some writing and some housework today, so I made lemonade out of the sour weather.

I ended up with quite a pot of vegetable soup, so I foisted some off on to my downstairs neighbors, Bob and Chris.  The freezer in my little refrigerator wouldn't hold the container--and I would rather not freeze it anyway. 

And drip some more.  Surprisingly loud on the tiled roof

We were talking about the pickpockets in various places around the world, mostly in Paris and in Spain.  Mostly it's sad that we have to hold back a little, to be a little cautious, in meeting the world head on.  It does diminish the experience of travel, to a certain degree, to have to be vigilant and,  if not suspicious, then at least hyper attentive, especially when the whole point of travel is to be as open as possible to new experiences, culture and friends. Fortunately, I feel very safe here in Carcassonne, and while I try not to carry any sum of money with me, I don't exercise the hyper-vigilance that I practice when I am in Paris.

Tomorrow is hair day....I can hardly wait.