As I sit at the kitchen counter to finally put an entry into the blog, on April 9th, the weather is a total wreck. The temp is hovering at around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which is not a spring temp and it's been raining all day. Hold on, I exaggerate, we did have 8 minutes of sunshine about an hour ago.
About 3 weeks ago, I read an article from a Belgian newspaper (thank you google chrome) that said this has been the worst winter since 1873. I am hoping to be here for the record warmth or record number of days with sunshine before we have to leave.
This weather is also hurting the tourism economy in the area. The Keukenhof Gardens are world famous for their beautiful tulip fields, they haven't bloomed yet. We were there last year at this time and it was row after row of color. Pairi Daiza, our wonderful zoo, is not having a good start to the season because of the cold, the parking lots aren't even half full. Other events have had little turnout because of it.
Our part of Belgium is also being hit agriculturally, the ONE day we had that was dry and sunny had all the farmers running out to the fields to begin discing so they can plant soon. Way past when they usually are in the field. Most of the farmers haven't released the cows yet. Our neighbors up the road still have their cows in the barn. I miss the cows.
I know that this entry sounds grumpy, and it is. I haven't been taking my Vitamin D because we were on vacation, where I knew there would be sun. I also have another illness, another sinus, respiratory, cough all night until your sides hurt illness. Honestly, I have been sick more often these past two years than I have in the previous 36. My husband tells me he was the same way when he had his deployments to Iraq. Belgium and Iraq? Those two things shouldn't be compared.
Come on, Mother Nature, we need you to take some happy pills and get on with Spring, please.
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