That's for sure. Down on the coast where my boys are, it is $2.34 a litre. Borderline criminal. Now we all think twice before going anywhere. Changing air filters in our vehicles today to help with the mileage.
I remember 1984, Bob Geldof. How can you plant trees in places where's there's war ? Great Green Wall — The Great Green Wall So let's grow maples to inundate the world with our strong, optimistic will to get over all these ominous pics from the dark web. A pictue from the fields of WW1, in Flanders. "Heroes" live in the pond, the trees that grow around. Will it take a hundred year for people to thread this place in peace ? When you get there, you can hardly retain your tears. I didn't try to spot a "maple".
Paris has adopted a petrol-free approach in various areas: here on the Ave Breteuil. I like it generally (and the dog liked it a lot) but it does close off the grass for the neighborhood, and is used more as a gimmick than a real technique. Current Paris mayor Hidalgo likes to take credit for these "green mowers", but actually they came into vogue under her predecessor, Delanoe. They are most effective along the banks of the ring road (peripherique) where almost no one would walk anyway. When we lived in San Francisco, we were required to keep up the area between the sidewalk and street. This could involve simple mowing, or in fancier neighborhoods than ours, a complicated garden bed. Anyway it was all at the cost of the homeowner. So I guess this idea of getting areas maintained on the private dime is pretty common. Here we are expected to keep the road verge where it borders our property. It's not strictly required, but it draws comment when not done...
In Orléans too, there are sheep and goats that are on the banks of the Loire to clear the slopes. It saves a lot of petrol, and fertilizes the soil ;-) It's like, after the roaring 60s-70s, we were trying to get back to a more "real" world, with less plastic and "atomic pizza", but closer to nature. Of course, in some parts of the world, it's very difficult : when people are at war, or don't have enough food to try and survive, "ecology" seems a very remote intellectual conception, all the more when poor, unaducated people are zombified by the local propaganda. I believe it's our duty to make them understand the full value of growing maples.
No sheep here to fertilize our plants, but no lack of deer and their attendant nuggets. I have no idea if they do any good at all, but what I do see every spring is hundreds of tiny mushrooms popping up all over the grass. I have to wonder if something they eat promotes mushroom growth? Now aside from the very cold and wet weather we have been having here, today is a beautiful exception. Sunny all day, so I have been able to get outside and transplant lots of seedlings. The potatoes are doing amazingly well, especially considering that I thought we had the worst seed potatoes ever. But not surprisingly, we are due for yet more rain starting late this evening.
But at least there's rain forecast for Saturday R. I see London has a forecast of 34°c.... 'flaming' June is definatly true this year.
Sounds like you are having a perfect day Keith, a lovely sunny day and rain late evening. Your plants will be very happy.
Yes, it was a good day all round. The promised rain did indeed arrive and we are expecting 10-15 mm between now and 8 am Friday, so not too much really. The poor folks down in Kelowna are under a flood watch along with several other communities down in the Kootenays. They were expecting 20 mm of rain, but got up to 65 mm instead. Over in Alberta they are also warning of flooding, possibly as much as 100 mm and 150 in some local areas in Saskatchewan. They do need the rain though as drought conditions have been the case for much of this year.
I gave them a really good soak last night after leaving them for a few days so hopefully they will be well hydrated
We're havin' a heat wave, a tropical heat wave... (sung to that tune we all know) Just back from Paris where was 31 yesterday. Hot hot hot. We had to eat late though, had dinner outside around 10pm, at a resto that stays open with lots of summery youth and surly waiters, perfect! It feels lovely and cool in the house anyway, but 29C now. I have to get going with the watering. We are forecast 35-40C on Friday and Saturday. @AlainK will probably see that around 100km south, but I doubt we will. Our altitude, and the surrounding forest, helps a bit.
Tell you what. Let's add our two temperatures together and see what we get. Mine is 14.3º now, so 29 and 14 is 43, divide by 2, that's 21.5. How does that sound? Bonus here, looks like the rain is stopping, albeit temporarily.
21.5 sounds perfect, Keith! Next week probably, and I think some of your rain is even forecast here. Boy do we need it: second round of cherries and raspberries are ripening, but fruit can't swell without water. (Actually I have a huge box of strawberries (gariguette!) from a neighbor to deal with, starting when I finish the watering. Break over!)
It looks like I'll have to buy another thermometer, this one is losing "bars". But I've got another one inside, and they're both still accurate. It's getting a bit less hot at 18:00 local time (17:00 I think in Britain) : ... and in American units of measurement, and the rest of the world units of temperature - if you please... <LOL>
PS : data from the weather station about 5 km-9 mi up north, 18:20. Total rain since the beginning of the month : 16.6 mm... And still no mustard in the supermarket. (sounds a bit like a song by Leonard Cohen, no diamonds in the mine...<LOL>)
That's hot. Also funny, I have that same thermometer. We had lunch with some friends in a nearby town, in a shady back garden. It was 37.5C. Here, less but more than I expected: still over 35C at 18h, and not dropping yet. The forecast has it going to 15C tonight, can't wait, although it's comfortable in the house, around 23C. Have to get out and water pots soon. Assuming it ends, here's what the heat wave has looked like here:
Shouldn't that be "Ain't no mustard... at the store, ain't no mustard any more..." sung to (natural key) la do re fa, mi do re... etc. Right, the tune is "ain't no sunshine when she's gone," couldn't come up with it for a minute.
Hé hé... That's great, thanks for helping me catch up with all the lacks in my musical culture. When I was sweating on my guitar to try and play "the sisters of mercy", I would have gladly tried this one instead, had I known it! ;0) BTW, it's Paul MCCartney's 80th birthday today. Still waiting to hum this song from one of my favourite bands : "Who'll stop the rain?" (I spare you the video, but those for whom it rings a bell will no doubt listen to it...)
We went from hottest day of the year yesterday to cold and intermittent rain today. In the same spot where I posted a pic of my thermometer showing 31C yesterday it is currently 14C! Hopefully more of the same (but perhaps not so cold) will be heading down to you guys in western France. I love Cosmo's Factory so did indeed just listen to Who'll stop the Rain, and loved the Bill Withers too. Both tracks 50 years or more old now!
Huh huh... I must be older than you, to me, it's CCR. But I like it, it's fun to hear some of the words that to me sounded so old-fashioned - but I like them. And the VW combi with psychedelic painting, so funny. My sons would love it too : they both have a "camion" or a van so they can travel whenever they have a chance, or enough money to fill the tank ;-). With a mattress, a digeridoo, and a guitar. I really don't know where these weird ideas came from...
Ha, Cosmo's Factory is the album that CCR song is pulled from... I did see CCR way back in '68 opening for Iron Butterfly and Albert King our month so far
Wow! Respect... Apart from the lack of "precipitation", it looks good for maples at this time of the year. Inagadadavida, or smthg, I think it was one of the first longest take on a vynil, 73. Great to dance with the girls around... at that time, even "Maple Leaf Rag" was totally unknown to me <LOL> "The Sting" was was made me love ragtime music, and the usherette at the local cinema, my first love. Was that what triggered my obession with maples ?... I wonder, I wonder, I still wonder... ;°)
Actually, 145mm/5.61" so far in June is above monthly average. Jan-June so far this year, 1109 mm or 43.68" as we say here In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is vintage '68
