Saturday, June 26, 2010

38 degrees - snoozing weather.





It's hot. Very hot. Yesterday the mercury touched 38 and today it's forecast to be the same. At this time of the year Wilf is out and about on his morning walk by six and back home and sprawled out on the cool gravel of the courtyard with a sock for company by seven. He gets his second walk of the day late at night when the heat has died down. In between he dozes under the oak trees or takes refuge from the heat on the cool cellar floors.

Last night we went to a performance of a St.Saens symphony (L'Orgue) in the regional capital. The cathedral there has all the beauty of a railway terminus in upstate New York but the bland, barn like interior enjoys wonderful reverberating acoustics. Just as the symphony was reaching its climax a sudden, brief , Pyrennean thunderstorm opened up. Orchestra, organ and thunder all at the same time - spectacular.

The cold snap earlier in the month has decimated the roses. Let's hope they recover. The last bedraggled remnants have been scattered in vases around the house. A bit early in the year to be talking about the last rose of summer.

They were supposed to be in by Easter but after umpteen delays the vets new surgery is finally finished and open. 'The font' took down a bottle of champagne to the team to celebrate the completion of the facility and to say thank you to them for looking after Digby. To our surprise they have put his photograph on the wall behind the reception desk. Seeing his photo still stings seven weeks on.

The local farmers and their tractors have been rumbling up and down the lane since first light bringing wood for tomorrow nights 'saints day' fire. The ever growing, and now rather large pyre is due to be lit at 10.00 pm and the feast and music making will continue after that on the village green.On Monday photos of this great event and the hopping and dancing .

16 comments:

  1. its getting hot here too....is that a duck reflected on the wall or are you playing shadow puppets??....

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  2. looks like a very nice surgery building, and so kind of you to christen it with champagne...i'm sure they were very happy, and so sweet to honor Digby....7wks...hard to believe...
    love to see peeks of the home front...looks very cool....
    hot here too, and humid...miserable weather...too much air conditioning, too many bugs and not enough dog park time!
    xoxo

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  3. I thought at first the picture of the vets office was a building in the industrial park--What a nice facility, and how kind of them to also be remembering Digby!

    I cannot wait for your telling of the saints day event--Since you seem to have your share of storms in the evening, I will hope that it is not rained out!

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  4. 38 - Woof. 38 F would feel kinda good right now (but still a little warm for our taste, but 38 C is just not fair.

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  5. Don't you just love your life there? - never a dull moment.

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  6. OMD that is hot! (My mom converted the temperature for me). Wilf has the right idea...try and stay cool my furiend.

    Woofs and Licks,
    Maggie Mae

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  7. Whoa! I googled that temperature (no comprehension of Celsius)and woooo is that hot or what! I was under the impression France stayed around Britain's temps, but I guess not....

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  8. Whew! I'm roasting just thinking about that heat! We've had our share here, too, but not quite that toasty.

    Those roses are just beautiful! I'm sorry they're done so early. That hardly seems fair!

    Funny how seeing those reminders in an unexpected place can really get to you! They must have thought a great deal of Digby's heart and spirit!

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  9. Staying cool is the right idea. Your village seems like a wonderful place where everyone knows everyone is involved with everything. I'd like that. I'm kind of nosey that way. Those flowers are beautiful. I hope the bushes recover and give you more before the summer is done.

    wags, Lola

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  10. I do think that's my favourite music in the world. I know it's my husband's. We try to hear it performed whenever it's scheduled anywhere near. To hear it in the setting you describe, complete with thunderstorm, takes my breath away just reading about it.

    Yes, extreme heat is visiting us both. I honestly don't think Edward and Apple could manage without air-conditioning. The humidity here is truly smothering. We are done with the outdoors very early in the morning. They venture out several times a day for a high paced reconnaissance mission around the back garden, one going one direction, one the other. They're back inside in five minutes tops.

    I cannot wait for the bonfire photos. Are costumes encouraged?

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  11. Goodness, you like to get up early for walks! Or maybe it's Wilf who likes to get up early?

    Beautiful roses you have there! Whenever I let my dogs out, I enjoy standing in the doorway for a moment and inhaling the sweet scent of my roses nearby. I don't remember them being so strong in past summers.

    How sweet of "the font" to bring champagne to the surgery suite. And how sweet of them to honor Digby by displaying his beautiful picture. Yes, I'm sure it does still sting. I cried for him when it was his time, I can only imagine your grief was 1000x stronger.

    Looking forward to the bonfire photos. Will Madame Bay be there? Perhaps you can sneak a peak for us and she'll be none the wiser! You have quite the life, always something going on!

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  12. It's not hot here where we live in the far south of Alaska near the sea. We have a maritime climate with mild winters and cool summers. We have two Weimaraner's Pan and Kalen and they say 'Woof Wolf' to Wilf !!
    ~Nan~

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  13. Such a touching tribute to Digby that he should preside over a well christened new surgery.

    Bonfire night; is the "très bandant" young doctor going to be there and do you think you could possibly sneak out a picture? Although one should not dream of such pictorial apotheosis, even perhaps a picture of him and Madame Bay dancing together...
    All in the name of intellectual curiosity, of course.

    BB's Maman, Isabelle. (Who will confess to waiting for your next post with baited breath)

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  14. If Jack wants to walk at 6AM, I'll give him his leash and tell him not to wake me up when he gets back home! :)

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  15. We are agog with excitement at the prospect of those photos....
    Toodle pip! Bertie.

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  16. Hope Wilf will be able to join the celebrations. Of course with 38 degree temps, hope the nights are cool enough for that huge fire. Sounds like a hoot.

    Lovely of the vets to feature Digby.

    XXXOOO Daisy, Kendra & Bella

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