The area around our little village was the hottest place in France yesterday - the thermometer by the front door showed 35 degrees - 100 or thereabouts for you Fahrenheiters. Definitely a day for Wilf and Digby to settle down on the lawn under the shade of the cherry trees and cogitate on the finer things in life - sausages, chicken and apple pie. In Digby's case his day dreams probably also involved the literally ravishing Claudette. For the rest of us it was a day to cut the grass, see whether the irrigation system works ( it doesn't) and try to rearrange our lives in a world without air travel.'The font' headed off in the car last night to take an exam on the riveting topic 'New developments in Mathematics'. There is a stultifying numbness creeping slowly up my fingers as I type the words. Of all the possible subjects that one could choose to study only 'the font' could find one with headline grabbing topics like Conics, Matrix transformations and Polynomials . Ideal topics to discuss with the two nuclear physicists who live in the village but a conversational desert as far as yours truly is concerned. 'The font' has headed off for the exam but as there has been no postal delivery we have no idea whether the examiner or the exam papers have made it across the channel.
A plane flew over yesterday afternoon - like eighteenth century Polynesian islanders we both rushed out onto the terrace to look at the strange thundering apparition in the sky . Air France were making a test flight from Paris to Toulouse to check for ash particles. German and UK air space looks as though it will remain closed for another 24 hours but on the basis of their test flight the French are hinting that the airports in the south may open up later today. The latest lunatic idea is to fly all the Europeans stranded in the US or Asia to Madrid and then put them on boats or coaches back home. 200,000 Brits alone fall into this category. I'll have to ask the font what the correct term is for chaos multiplied by chaos. Chaos squared?
The news here is full of interviews of people stranded. One Brit was in a car accident on his way to the airport, missed his flight, which was the last one that left for London, and is now hoping to get home for his 85th birthday and wedding anniversary--Others interviewed in airports & hotels just talk about the expense of having to stay here with nothing to do--Nothing to do in Washington DC? I guess they have been here long enough!
ReplyDeleteHope all goes well with the font's exam!
ReplyDeleteOh for 35 degrees....You might be interested to know that it's been trying to snow in Aberdeen this morning. And that I shall be giving Bertie extra treats should he manage to 'relieve himself' on any page in the P&J that features favourable coverage of Donald Trump...
Cheers! Gail.
Woo - that is hot. We never see that hot here, even in the middle of summer.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like chaos to infinity if you ask me, but I'm no mathematician!
ReplyDeleteHow on earth can you contemplate mowing grass in that kind of heat? Good grief, I'd wait for it to cool off! Good luck to you, M'Ongoose!
Well, I am one hot Okie! I love hot weather and your 100 F temps suit me just fine, especially after three cloudy, rainy days of barely 50 F here in Oklahoma. However, I have central air conditioning and can go inside for relief if I want. On another note, I consider math a four-letter word,and am very impressed that the font wants to be tested on such a subject. I would consider that kind of fun right up there with needles under my fingernails. Hope it all turns out just fine...
ReplyDeleteLiz
We never see 100 deg here either! Oh my...
ReplyDeleteChaos squared! My friends stuck here in the US have talked about exactly that plan to get back to Great Britain. Maybe Chaos cubed!!!! I feel awful for all the people stuck away from home but Mother Nature always bats last.
That's exactly the type of subject that I'd choose to take a class in. The font and I might get along well!
If any of you friends are stuck in SA (Johannesburg) perchance...I'd love to host them.
ReplyDeleteAh, she has a workable left brain. I am impressed, especially as I have none. Only colour and words. And dogs.
ReplyDeleteKO2
ReplyDeletei have this sudden urge to solve differential equations...i kid! :)
ReplyDeletei love the second picture of wilf (i think?) in the grass, by the way.
the booker man's mama