More Snow

I feel like the only thing anyone has discussed in Marseille lately has been the weather. After an incredibly mild (so far) winter, it turned cold all of a sudden about two weeks ago. There were the whispers of snow last week that I already wrote about. Last Friday night, it snowed again, and just north of Marseille there was actual accumulation. Like several inches of accumulation. But with so many warm bodies and and underground Metro system warming up our little city on the Med, nothing stuck here. But the cold continued...

I would get up and look at my phone to see how cold it was. Most mornings it would say 19ish degrees F, with a windchill to make it feel like 14. Or 9. Or even one day, 6 degrees. Farenheit. That's cold, folks. COLD.

A few days ago, CSI and I were out doing some research, and this arctic cold Mistral wind nearly bowled us over. When we got back to my place I asked if we were wusses because we can't handle these temperatures, when there are other places that are so much colder than here...and then I remembered. (1) We don't have appropriate clothing for this kind of weather. (2) We don't have HEAT. All I have is a small little space heater who, surprisingly, is getting the job done...but still. My apartment is not heated. It doesn't really need to be.

If this cold snap would just lift already.

Last week, a group of friends laughed at lunch that if it's going to be this cold, it really ought to snow. It's the only thing that can make it bearable. Well, at least it isn't raining.

All week I kept checking the extended forecast, and it couldn't make up its mind. Either it was going to snow today and tomorrow, or it was going to be sunny. I mean, look at it. It says that it is 32 degrees and sunny out, but that it's supposed to snow today with a high of 36. HUH? Well...

When the forecast can't get it right, why not just step out on the balcony and find out for yourself? This is a video I shot two hours ago from my balcony.

As I said, I don't have appropriate clothing for snow days. So, I put on a pair of tights, then wool knit tights, then my winter thermal running pants, then a pair of jeans. FOUR long sleeved t-shirts, a hoodie sweatshirt, and a scarf. Plus hiking boots, a coat, fleeced earmuffs, fleeced knit hat, and gloves...Then I went down to the beach. Oh, what a glorious walk! Snow on the sand! Amazing!
Look at that gorgeous color of the water!!!
More snow on the sand, and low visibility of the mountains just across the way.
A surfer who apparently hoped that snow = good waves. It didn't. Too bad for him.
The sun trying to fight it's way through the clouds.
In this photo, you can almost barely see the snow that was coming down.

I took a video there too...

Oh how I love snow. I love that our God is so amazing that He can make snow fall somewhere were it is almost always sunny and warm. I love the image of our sins being as white as snow. I love the Christmas song that says He came...not in a loud storm, but soft like a winter snow.

Sorry I haven't written about much other than weather lately. That's because...I've been sort of under it, actually. I'd gotten a winter cold back around New Year's that lasted a good two weeks, and then I had about a two-week reprieve, and then fell under it again about two weeks ago. I can't seem to shake the sore throat, runny nose, headache. So...I just go to work, stay at home, blow my nose, and wish that it would snow to make it all worth it. Today was worth it.