Heat Wave

It was hot today. So hot that we had to compete with at least 5 other groups of Sunday Petanque players (on a small little dirt plot in the park). The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, Spring was in the air... But wait. It's almost Halloween! I think the birds and bees and trees are as confused as I am. A few trees are sporting their crimson and yellow fall foliage, but our roses are in full bloom. And the pepper plants continue to produce like crazy.

I've been anxiously awaiting the winter, dreading its onset. In fact, I might be a little obsessed. When touring the chateaux of the French countryside, or quaint little villages, instead of marveling at the construction or the stupendous views, I shiver to myself-- even on the hottest of summer days-- imagining how utterly freezing it must be to endure the cold, cold, bitter cold winter inside a stone fortress, which entraps the cold inside. And the French just love to build in stone.

(The photo isn't France, but it is very French: the Caribbean isle of Guadeloupe.)

PS. We recently watched Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth, about global warming. Days like today, though blissful for Petanque, are also a big cause for concern.