We are not forecast to get rain 'till Sunday, and the temperature is predicted to rise towards that, so what a double relief this morning. The pond is the same, 20c, as yesterday but the shade above it is only 23c.
I looked at the sky, totally overcast, so decided not necessary to go down in the car to water the flowers and instead for the 2 of us to walk directly from here. But not just up through the shady trees and back, I gave him his head and walked right through to the field, now cut and baled, and into the centre where I had pause to catch my breath (it is 10%, the hill) while he wandered at will investigating all around me before turning upwards to pass me and on into the next field. Then, entirely at his will again, I followed him down as he zigzagged in and out of the trees and, for once since the new fence and gate were installed, he did not go through them but down the old track outside of it just for old times sake. I waited patiently 'till he ambled back at my gently murmured ‘this way Jules’.
BTW, interestingly, his recall to whistle or voice is pretty good (only scents on the ground close his ears, but ‘this way’ almost always sends him not back to me but in the direction I am heading. Most gratifying.
Now, while this weather lasts, I will head back into the new terrain and cut a few more dead logs and clear the pathway above my head. A handy chair is there to take it easy on, from time to time, and view the tree tops and all the birds flying between them.
Joy of joys, still overcast, low 20s. Managing to get the cottage sorted for our next guests, most of the washing done, super king bed split into two singles, bought new double wooden gates for the garden to keep Rona in. I would be flagging if I’d been doing this yesterday and the days before,
We sold our BMW 528i in 2022 with high mileage on it. We reckon it could have done the same again - under the bonnet was clean as a whistle. We had had the car since 2005 - it was a sad day when it was sold - I loved that car! The ad was on Leboncoin for a day before someone came along and wanted to buy it! Then it was a race to get a replacement - a much smaller Captur II.
e39? I had 2 e34 535i s in the States. One was a manual, which was a very rare car there. I wish I was young enough to buy something here that I could enjoy (and work on a little).
Whilst the worst of the canicule seems to have passed, with friends staying we are in the spare room which only has 1 velux for air and currently the gap in the open window is utilised for the AC vent pipe (well insulated) so no cool morning fresh air. The north facing end of the building is at 17c this morning so thinking of fitting a fan to duct air in. Would use a fire damper for insulation as well as safety.
Satisfying cooler weather down my way in Charente Maritime. Just right for me. Oppressive hot weather I now find frightening, but have newly bought air conditioner for emergency furnace weather.
Because many of us bought fans and other coolers whilst wilting in the unexpected canicule last month, the Weather God laughed and sent us unbelievably beautiful balmy weather for July.
On a similar note, astronomy gear retailers First Light Optics place a sticker that says “may contain clouds” on the box of each telescope they sell, on the principle that in the UK buying a new scope is guaranteed to bring on bad weather.
Your long-awaited empirical research strongly supports the new ‘Moistion’ theory of cloud formation.
A ‘Moistion’ is a sub-atomic particle emitted from glass with a half-life estimated to be somewhere between 6 and 30 days (depending upon whether or not you adhere to the ‘Basingstoke’ interpretation of moistion generation theory). Moistions are only emitted by glass when in contact with air, so packaging leads to a build of moistions on the glass surface.
On opening the packaging encasing large pieces of glass, these moistions are release (the so-called moistion cascade). This sudden increase in moistion concentration reacts with raised Adrenalin in the blood caused by the excitement of opening a lovely new bit of kit to produce the hormone ‘Anticipatin’. Aniticipatin is then excreted by the body in exhaled breath. Being much lighter than air, Anticipatin molecules rapidly float up into the upper atmosphere where they act as condensation nuclei, leading to cloud formation.
You can find out more in the frequently cited paper
Bunk, C., Tosh, A and Piffle, T. (2017). Mosition/Adrenalin interactions in higher primates - proposed stimulus for Anticatin production. Nature, 23. (2).
Well the deep ocean currents are slowing and running amoc again with CO2 levels expected to “go through the roof” so 0.04% to 0.05% presumably we are all doomed so the quicker you can find us a new planet with your telescope the better, I’m all packed and ready.
In my brief experiment to see how quickly YT would takle me down the rabbithole, I saw a video by a British prepper. He was listing what you’d need when everything goes wrong. His list included a mechanical watch, “so you can stay on schedule”.
Well I’ll try, but since we are all relying on the Boy Musk to build us a rocket to get there, you may want to put your unmentionables back in their accustomed place in the second drawer from the top.
According to the 10-day weather forecast on the internet site that we use, our heatwave starts tomorrow with 32c and hovers between 29 and 35c for the next fortnight. Must make sure we’ve got plenty of sorbets and afternoon matinee films to watch!
Since I started with my severe lung infections, about 2 and a half weeks ago I haven’t swam at all, due to the wild water I must not risk ingestion by breathing and am well out of breath at each turn. But I am sorely tempted in the heat. So far managed to keep cool by lying alongside the pond in the shade of the trees and benefitting from the cooling breeze.
Not much appetite either, have now lost 8 kgs since leaving hospital on the 22nd of May.
I see from my forecast no rain at all next week and high temps to go with it. I might weaken and lower myself in at least tomorrow.
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we are all doomed so the quicker you can find us a new planet with your telescope the better, I’m all packed and ready. 
