Morning all. Cloudy at present, but the sun is expected later this morning. 50% chance of a shower of rain tomorrow, but I am not banking on it. Last year our village pond was dredged and enlarged to provide a water source in case of fire. It is already looking half empty simply due to the heat rather than anything being taken from it. Five drakes and one duck took up residence, and now we have five ducklings paddling around. I do hope that paternity is never needed to be proved.
Morning all. The big news from rural France is that we had a shower of rain overnight. About 6.30 am there was a rumble of thunder, and then a little later a brief and light shower. That seems to be it, no more is forecast in the coming week, and the return to very hot days and night by Wednesday. Off up my ladder now to change the detector that puts the outside light on. The existing one has been there for about five years and seems to have forgotten it is only supposed to work when it gets dark.
Can you please vote for our band granddad, as if we win the Battle of the Bands that is taking place outside Leeds today, we will be the supporting act at the concert tonight. Despite the fact that I am not over fond of their music I did feel that I should support him. Clearly my vote counted as they won, beating five others, and tonight will be performing in front of three thousand plus. I like to think I have passed on some of my musical genes as five out of the seven grandchildren are very decent performers, and all four children can play instruments, with two of them getting to degree level. Music can enrich our lives considerably, whether it be at the proms, or a folk group playing for fun in the local pub. Some of the most enthusiastic singers I have met have found out quite late on that they can actually sing in tune given the right encouragement. I would put learning to read and learning something about music as very important to having a good quality of life.
Morning all. It feels warm already despite it being overcast. Off to my monthly lunch with friends today, and we will be eating outside. There will be quite a few of us today requiring us to pre-order off the menu, so I know what I will be having and am looking forward to it. Enjoy your day whatever you are doing.
Morning all from a sunny and warm rural France. The warnings are out for a very hot week ahead so back into making sure that the elderly have fans, also plenty of water to drink. Mme noticed that I had a tic on me this morning. Not sure where it came from, but they are common in not only France but in the UK as well. A tip to remove it. Cover the area with some vaseline and it stops it from breathing. Within a couple of minutes it will start to come out, and you can then easily remove it. Have a nice tic free day.
The temperature hit 39°C in the shade this afternoon, and one of the house owners who only comes here from time to time was wandering around the village in just a pair of shorts. Judging by the smell wafting down the lane he is now having a BBQ. Mad dogs and Englishmen comes to mind.
Interesting tip Frenchie.. I have had five on me in two years. Three in one go in France and two in one go in n w Scotland.. We now have a tic removing tool both in the car and in the house in France..
We get about one per week, on average, Yorkie. The vaseline idea is one of the better ones - it stops them from breathing, but the only problem is that they have an extremely low respiratory requirement. they actually breath about 15 times per hour, and only about 4 times when resting and feeding ie. when they are on you. So that solution may take a while. Other ideas - like burning it up the bum with a recently used matchstick, increase the danger because they release all their poisons in panic. Unscrewing them simply takes off the head. The only solution is to get them out within 24 hours (at the latest) using tweezers - as low as possible, and without pressure - and very smoothly. Of course you have to train your partner as well - just in case you get one in the bum where you can't reach it
Morning all. Well the heatwave is really beginning to hit now, with EDF saying that they can produce enough electricity to keep all of the fans and aircon units going. They have had to close two water cooled reactors down in the Garonne because the river water temperature is too high. Once used to cool the reactors the water goes back into the river, but the increased heat is likely to have ill-effects on the aquatic flora and fauna, so that is prevented. The big cities such as Paris and Lyon are restricting car use to prevent a build-up of toxic gases, and the transport of live animals is banned between 1.00 pm and 6.00 pm unless a lorry is fitted with aircon or misting equipment. These measures are likely to remain in force until Friday when storms are expected and the temperature is likely to drop back to around 26°C. So the red wine is off for the time being, and the water consumption will rise.
I have had three in a most delicate area.. And when in a hotel in Paris without means we had to get a duty Dr to the hotel in the middle of the night.. My wife held a phone torch whilst he tweezered them out... Oh the ignominy... My wife still delights in telling the tale.... Now we are always prepared..