Rant alert

Well, the 'neige forte' that was predicted by Méteo France only extended down to 1000m alt. In fact, at that altitude, it would be more accurate to describe the fall as a 'dusting' rather than a 'dumping' and us folk at 540m have not seen so much as a floçon. It has however been wet, very wet. Temperatures are due to fall further over the next few days and precipitation will most probably turn to snow down here if that is the case. Watch this space!

In the meantime *rant alert*, my battles with our ADSL provider, SFR are continuing. I may or may not have mentioned it before, but since we moved into this house we have had no telephone. The way it works here is that the phone and internet both go through a 'box' (router) which, in this case is an SFR 'Neufbox'. You cannot plug your phone directly into the phone socket and make a call. No, that would be too simple and uncomplicated. It has to go through the box. But whilst our box detects that the telephone handset is indeed plugged in and the test call to the handset works, we are not getting a dial tone and the box is not detecting the fact that the handset is being picked up and put back down. There is a fault, there is a problem, most likely with the box. So call SFR and get it sorted. But the phone doesn't work. Use your mobile. But we have no mobile signal at the house. I have spent 2 hours today, 2 hours I tell you, sat in the car in the next village where there is a mobile signal, almost crying with frustration at one point, until I was advised that OK, we'll send you a text with a date and a time for the engineer's visit. I have still not received said text. The mere thought that I may have to call them again is enough to send my blood pressure soaring. Inefficiency at its best, that's SFR.

On a brighter note, in an attempt to de-stress I took the pooch for a mooch along the 'Voie verte' from la Bastide sur l'Hers earlier. This is the old disused railway line that runs from Mirepoix through to Lavelanet and is part of the Trans-Ariege VTT (mountain bike) route. The old station building still stands although the ivy and the weeds are rapidly making inroads....... the no doubt once proud station name sign is looking sad and neglected
On what day did the station clock stop, I wonder?
What used to be displayed on this 'panneau'?So many questions. I must look into the history of the line and I will hopefully find some answers.