15 August 2019

The hot dry summer

These photos are a week old. Since then, we've had some rain, but not much. Everything is still pretty parched. I've been able to do some trimming of rogue blackberry vines, hazelnut trees, honeysuckle, and bay leaf saplings, but not nearly enough yet. The blackberries you see growing in and on our back hedge are a target. It's been too dry for the berries to develop into sweet morsels this summer. We seldom get enough blackberries to do anything with them, even though there are brambles everywhere.



Today is a holiday in France. August 15 is Assumption Day, which according to religion or legend is the day of the year when the Virgin Mary was "taken bodily up into heaven," according to the French public holidays web site. In other words, she didn't die and go to heaven. She went still alive. A lot of people will celebrate the holiday by spending the day at the Beauval zoo, just a mile or so from our house. According to statistics I've seen, annual attendance at the zoo is now more than 1.5 million. A ticket for the day costs 30 euros. We'll stay home and avoid the crowds and traffic jams.

9 comments:

  1. Yes, she did die, but she was resurrected (I think the Holy Spirit had a lot to do with that) and was taken alive to Heaven! Fairy tales anyone?

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    1. According to this article, Roman Catholics are not required to believe that the virgin Mary died and was resurrected before being "assumed" into Heaven. Protestants don't really have a Mary cult thing the way Catholics do.

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  2. The grapes look pretty good and dry years are supposed to be the best, aren't they? Fairy tales, yes that reminds me of "Fractured Fairy Tales," narrated by Edward Everett Horton. The cartoons were pretty camp for their day:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xnYcKHl8E4

    Maybe people are willing to hold onto the fairy tale for the day off?

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  3. Rien à voir avec votre post... en rentrant de Bretagne hier, en direction de Sancerre, pensé à vous 😉 en passant à proximité de chez vous !
    Amicalement.

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    1. Bonjour Christiane,

      J'espère que ces vacances en Bretagne se sont bien passées et qu'il a fait beau là-bas.

      Bien à vous,
      Ken

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  4. it is very dry in Poland too

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  5. It's unbelievably dry here and hotter than hades! Will we make to September!?

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    Replies
    1. I just checked Accuweather. Since the beginning of August, Morehead City has had two inches of rain. Meanwhile, Birmingham has had just half an inch. That is dry, especially when it's so hot there.

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