This is CBS Eye on the World. Here's John Batchelor.

To Paradise, the south of France, Simon Constable, writing for the Wall Street Journal and other distinguished publications, but we begin with springtime in paradise.

Simon, a very good day to you.

I report from southern New England flurries within these last hours.

Snow several days ago.

Snow enough to build up on the lawn and the trees, and it lasted for a day and a half.

And then mild, some rain, and now we're back to cold hands in the morning. So how's the south of France doing in paradise? You're very well ahead of me

and blooming. But what about the temperature and the precipitation? Good day to you, Simon.

Good day to you, John. Good day to you, John.

Well, we did have a couple of very beautiful days where you could have short trousers on

and a t-shirt and feel very good about yourself. But not for the last few days, though.

Now it's been raining pretty much all night and a lot of the day. Temperatures are between 44 Fahrenheit and 55 Fahrenheit over the day.

And the wetness makes you feel colder because it's sort of damp and a bit sort of, eh, if you know what that means.

Anyway, it's still paradise and the flowers are still coming up and blooming,

and it's lovely.

Yes, your irises are up.

Mine have just started.

The daffodil regiments, however, are arrayed on parade,

and that is always relaxing.

The forsythias are alight.

Now, I understand in these last days, someone has scared the wild boars,

the foxes, the animals of your kingdom with a loud boom that also awoke you. What happened?

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