Snow days in Bassins, December 2010

Dwight Peck's personal website

Snow days in Bassins, early December 2010

1 December seems awfully early in the year, these days, but there are no surprises anymore.

You may not find this terribly rewarding unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.

In recent years there's been much less snow before Christmas than we had back in the Good Old Days, but this year there have been a few sprinklings and our hopes were high. Then the first of December arrived.

It's the 29th of November, we've already been out for one rather beastly snowshoe battle in the elements, but things have settled down nicely with an excellent view out over Lake Geneva.

Clean, crisp air, clear skies, and a good view of Mont Blanc across the way. But that was all about to change.

1 December, it's still autumn, the leaves may still be changing colors; well, it's too late now.

Environmentalists have been cautioned never to use the phrase "Global Warming" (we say "Climate Change" instead), because every time an extreme weather event tends to the snowier side, the exultant Inhofes yodel loudly about how it's therefore all a hoax.

Bassins services swing into action -- and keep at it all day. The roads keep topping up, and when there's a break, they have to go back and move all the plowed snow out of wherever they've stashed it in a hurry. Luckily, this is a farming village, and all the tractors seem to sprout plow attachments.

Some of our neighbors are missing all the fun.

The Rue de l'Eglise looking downtown from the village church

A day off for the construction industry

Our cluniac church at its best

One has done one's duty with the snow shovel, and now we're waiting to see if we're going to have to do it again. Our carpark is empty because I'm the only working stiff who gets to work from home.

This is too good to miss -- we're downing tools for an hour so and surging out for a walk round town.

Along the Rue de l'Eglise

And a look back at the church

The Place des Tilleuls at the bottom of the street, two ladies battling the elements whilst chatting

Our local bakery and convenience store. Very convenient.

The postal bus persisting up through the village

Our church from the bottom of the street

With the Lumix-zoom turned up a ways

The Bassins high street, and the Hotel de la Couronne

The road down into the ravine, towards Arzier on the other side

An army truck rolls very tentatively through town, evidently lost.

Two kids who refuse to stay upright

The army truck is back. It's going to try a new theory now.

A motorist takes the better part of valor and sends everyone out to scrape down the windshields.

The Rue du Battoir

Everyone takes a turn with the shovel.

The New School (left) and the Newer School (right)

The Bassins indoor swimming pool and the afterschool kids wading towards the door

Other afterschool kids heading home hip-deep

Snow plowed high on the Rue du Cardelay

Farm implements waiting for spring

The Rue du Cardelay

Back up the Rue de l'Eglise. This snow is NEVER going to end.

And the next day . . . Global Warming. The sun's out. It's all melting off fast.

Indeed, it all melted away, but we had another impressive snowstorm three days later and got the shovels out again.

The postman making his rounds

The high street in sunlight

The Rue de l'Eglise, the bakery, and the church. And the postman's car.

The church. (And the postman's car.)

The auberge again

The lakeside front of our house (my flat is over the central arched door)

We're getting ready for the next one.

And here's the next one after the next one, 16 December 2010.

The Rue de l'Eglise at the very witching hour of the night

What will tomorrow bring?

Oh, thank you. Thank you!

The Rue de l'Eglise during the day.

And the next day. Now we're getting ready for the next one.