The experience of the weather

"Unseasonably cold.  

Snowing down south already! But clear blue skies and crisp cold. Feels like JHB.

Thank god our house is warm.

 The heat pump/aircon works like a dream."

These messages came from Shawni this morning about how she is experiencing the season change in Wellington, New Zealand and it got me remembering how frequently I wrote to Mom about my experiences of the seasons in Paris.

These photos of Shawni, either in her colour co-ordinated pale blue raincoat and wellingtons or her gorgeous red winter coat with its white fur trim and her black boots, tell the story of her braving the winter of 1986/7 in Paris.

I also tell Mom about the central heating in the house in Les Ombrage, 'Fred likened it to living in an igloo'. 

The house was warm all winter, in fact if we did not run the heating system the pipes would have frozen and burst.

Ice on the car windows, frost and ice covering the garden, and eventually the wonder of snow.

We had it all.

So Shawni, layer up like the forecast says - 4 clothing layers and 1 waterproof layer. Oh my you will look like the Michelin Man.

I loved the seasons in Europe, buying the right clothes and shoes was critical and we did not always get it right, but managed just fine.