As I wandered through the steeply wooded slopes of Chamonix yesterday afternoon I stumbled into a lovely wooded opening which contained a chalet among the colourful trees. I knocked on the door and a little wizard lady came and let me in. She was dressed in unusual but very colourful clothing including a witches hat! She offered me tea whichI glady accepted and then taking my cup she read the tea-leaves and said, "Ah, you are mountain guide? "
"Yes, I said, "It's been a difficult season for us guides this year, the weather has been all over the place and I have spent a lot of the season breaking trail through deep snow!"
She agreed and told me that the weather should be better today and tomorrow but it may cloud in again, but today should be good.
She swore me to secrecy and thatI should never ever tell anyone about the secret location of her charming little chalet in the magical woods above Chamonix and I said, " Oh, I would like to mention this interesting encounter on my blog"
"Oh, well, thats OK I suppose" she said and shrugging her shoulders in a very French attitude! With that, she tossed a fine powder which was made of some ground up mices tails and other ingredients and stirred it into a steaming bubbling pot of greenish soup, which was boiling away on her wood burning stove. A mist appeared and she waved her wand and suddenly I found myself transported away from the magical autum woods and sitting in a tiny internet booth in the Chamonix Tourist Office!
So, I am assuming that she wanted me to publish this blog page, but I ask any reader to please keep it a bit secrect!
This morning now I am away with my client to Italy. We will stay at the Refuge Torino tonight. Perhaps if we wake early tomorrow and are very lucky we may get a climb or scramble done before the weather closes in again.
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