In The Heat Of The Day.

A new norm?

Last night we had a quick respite. The clash of celestial puffs of air finally moved from dress rehearsal to opening act. Raindrops fell making the air marginally cooler for a while. When I checked the rain measurement ( big plastic bin under our drainpipe ) it hadn't filled more than a few millimeters. Mind you, the air, ground and garden are so parched that they must have absorbed any and all raindrops.

My weekly Wednesday walk brought not much more than sweat and a morsel of village gossip. Turns out that one of the local graves has a tomato plant growing atop and the widow doesn't appear to want to change it for a conformist bouquet of graveyard faithfuls. Ah, tongues will be wagging...

The school holidays are into their second month and I've already had a few kids for refreshers. Parental pressure on the one hand but boredom and excessive heat on the other. Much nicer to spend an hour indoor where it is cool.

Mausi whiles the day away dreaming of chasing this that or the other often only waking up to change her bed. The only time she leaves her dreamworld properly is when she hears the engine of Bob's company van powering up the driveway. So cute to see the excitement on her little face when Daddy comes home. Of course the minute he steps through the door she carries on her aloof act. Cats, a mystery indeed.

The heatwave appears to have pitched its tent for at least another week and the only upside to it...winter is mere months away.

A charm of birds using the coolness of an early morning to exchange the day's gossip.

Biggi