Crazy Weather

This is what I woke up to this morning. And then it got worse. You couldn't even see the back fence. The weather has not been on it's best behavior lately. We had non stop rain for about two weeks, and then the fog set in. One thing that I've noticed about the locals, though, is that nothing slows them down. A couple of days ago, the rain was pouring down, and an elderly gentleman near us was out sweeping the leaves off of his sidewalk like it was just another sunny day. You still see them out doing yard work and riding their bikes on errands, no matter how bad the weather is. They're tough in Belgium. When the rough weather hits, you can be sure to find me snuggled on the couch, under my favorite blanket, and watching a movie. I'm a wimp. I admit it, and I'm OK with that. There is a rumor that fluffy white stuff will soon be here. If it does, feel free to stop by. We can watch Under The Tuscan Sun and dream about Spring.

It's Corny, But True

The days are getting cooler. The mornings are foggy as of late. We set our clocks back an hour on Sunday. The horizon of Belgium has dropped about 8 feet. It must be Fall. I think that the most popular crop in Belgium is corn. They grow it everywhere. If there is a field near their house, they will grow corn on it. An empty plot of land in a subdivision? Corn. A half acre beside the school? Corn. A planter box on the windowsill? Corn. (Well, maybe not that last one.) It's not so much to eat, but to feed the livestock throughout the winter months. They have a lot of livestock in Belgium. Almost as much as they have corn. You don't realize just how much of the landscape is covered with these massive fields of grain... until they harvest it all. Then you notice that not only is the country much shorter than you had first thought, but that there are a lot of buildings and fields that were once hidden. I find myself having to relearn some of the landscape. Things look much different now. Instead of turning right at the third cornfield on the left, I find myself looking at the old house that had been hiding there. They built a nice new house nearby, so they just plowed up their former yard and planted...say it with me...all together now...CORN! Ahhhhhh.