Look at what our current heat wave is doing to our long, tall, wide hedge. This is our back yard and it gets full sun in the afternoon. The leaves on the hedge are very sun-burned. We are hoping they will come back when and if we go back into a rainy spell.  Why don't we water it? It's because the hot dry weather we've had for months now is affecting the whole country. Farmers are plowing their crops under because the hot sun has killed just about everything. Big trees and grape vines around here are surviving, but that's about all. They are plants will very deep roots.

This photo shows another section of the hedge that is faring better, even though it is south-facing. The photo is from a few weeks ago. 

Apologies

I'm sorry to have disappeared from the blog. There's a lot going on here, involving doctors, pharmacists, and nurses. A few days ago,I fell as I was going up the stairs last Friday after. My injuries needed medical attention. I called in a nurse who practices in our village and she came to the house to help. She examined my wounds, disinfected everything, and applied bandages better than Walt and I could do. This week she's coming back every day to change the bandages and see if the wounds are healing properly.

Yesterday I went to see my primary care doctor. He did some paperwork that makes the cost the care I need will be covered by insurance.

Meanwhile, it is still very hot here. High temperatures are in the mid- to high 90s in ºF.

More later, as things evolve. I will recover.

PS: no bones were broken.

 

S.O.S.

Accuweather forecasts that our week will be a hot one. 

The high temperature on Wednesday is supposed to hit 106 ºF. Au secours!

 

 

Still Needing Rain (2)

 The weather here has been very pleasant this week, with high temps in the mid 80s ºF. Some mornings and nights have felt downright chilly. Now the weather people are predicting rain for Saturday and Sunday, with thunder and lightning on Sunday. We need the rain.

We've been sleeping up in the loft, which can get boiling hot by late afternoon, despite the 8 inches of insulation that  we put in when we had the loft converted to living space back in 2010. I hope we don't have to sleep downstairs again next week.

That's because the weather services and sites are predicting another heat wave for us, starting Monday. They don't yet say how long it's going to last.

Down in the Bordeaux area, there have been two big forest fires this week. One of them is still burning in a place called Cap Ferret (pop. 8,000), just south of the city. Cap means "cape". It's a busy resort town. They say 30,000 people have been evacuated from the area, most of them tourists. Houses are already burning.