Friday, September 25, 2020

Those two words.

A fresh bowl of water to start the day. The leaves falling thick and fast. It's decidedly raw and chill this morning. The time of the year when those two dreaded words spring to mind - ' central heating'.

Angus can't help but observe that this morning  the family diva is sporting a rather 'wild' look.

We stop on the storm drain and put the world to rights. Sophie leans into me and has her chin tickled. She squeals with delight and leans in closer to make sure I don't stop. The locals passing on their way to work have got used to the sight of a strange foreigner sitting with his legs dangling over the storm drain talking away to a furry companion. This may explain why 'The Font' is treated with great sympathy by all the locals.

Angus has been ordering more wine. He views this as practical preparation for a long winter lockdown. Three cases are delivered just fine. Three others have liquid stains underneath - a sure sign something is awry. I refuse to accept them. The  young lady courier driver  says ' I'd refuse them too '.  That makes life much easier. Let the courier company deal with the hassle of explaining the breakages. Angus estimates that ordering wine online costs 20% less than buying from the wine merchant . 

Shortly after the wine delivery woman goes the post lady arrives. She looks at the wine but says nothing.  Perhaps she thinks I talk to Sophie on the storm drain then return home for a breakfast bottle of Burgundy ?

This is a book I've heard good things about and will start reading today.


The young garagiste has become a father. We've seen him graduate from motorcycle to motorbike then to sporty little Citroen with a raspy exhaust. Now he has a practical if ageing BMW four door saloon with a baby seat in the back. This music blasts out as he passes and waves. A tune that can be heard everywhere in France : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivYpJuA_3zc

This is a question I'd never considered : https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/how-humanity-discovered-its-possible-extinction-timeline/

 'The Font' informs me about this over breakfast. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02717-3



7 comments:

Lisa in France said...

I've always wondered what the storm drain you mention so frequently in your posts looks like. Is Sophie actually standing on the storm drain in that third picture? If so, I can absolutely understand why it would be the perfect place to sit and discuss the events of the day with your canine companions.

Angus said...

Yes, that is indeed the storm drain where Angus and generations of PONs have stopped and put the world to rights. The ground falls away steeply enough to enable the PONs companion to swing his legs.

WFT Nobby said...

Central heating here has now been switched from the occasional summer boost to the regular autumn settings.
There have been days this year when I've seriously considered following the morning walk/talk with Bertie by opening a nice bottle of red....
Looking forward to a review of the Loyd Grossman book.
Cheers, Gail.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari Om
Even as I read this, I sit beside the warm radiator, the thermo this morning deeming it necessary... YAM xx

Lisa in France said...

Thank you - I wish I had a storm drain like that! This may be OT, but I received this in a newsletter today and thought that, since we are on black holes, the Font might be interested: https://news.yale.edu/2020/09/23/new-spin-supermassive-black-holes?utm_source=YaleToday&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=YT_Yale%20Today%20Alum%20no%20Parents_9-24-2020

Poppy Q said...

I always think that if the dinosaurs were wiped out, we could be too and that earth was here for millions of years before humans were here and may be here for millions after we are gone. The way things are going we are likely to be masters of our own demise.

Fay said...

I enjoyed Ava Max. She does seem a far cry from the "ye-ye" singers of my youth (France Gall, Sylvie Vartan, Jane Birkin ....). And another indication of how completely it seems that France has adopted American pop culture, music, etc.