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Saturday, August 28, 2021

Wet Blanket Summer

 Nothing new to report here. Thunderstorms, torrential rain, mugginess - well all right, no hurricanes but we might as well be in Florida. There's been a little bit more sunshine the past few days and the jungle is still looking perky...

....though unfortunately that's only served to bring out my nemeses, the lawn-mowing enthusiasts with which we're surrounded. It seems they've fine-tuned the radar which compels them to start up their deafening noise (turned into surround sound by all the echoing hills) as soon as I escape to the garden for a bit of respite and relaxation. 

Yesterday was a case in point. I'd made my coffee, opened my vintage Inspector Morse novel and settled into the air chair on one of the few days when it's been dry enough - when all of them started up at once. Like maddened hornets amplified a hundred times, up and down, up and down they chugged remorselessly. The French have a law about not making garden noise at certain times when people want to relax - like lunchtimes and Sunday afternoons. I doubt that would wash in America. As I've often said, it beats me why people in this country prefer vast expanses of sterile lawn to flowers and trees. Or why they have to mow every time it's not raining. Will the world end if the grass grows an extra inch or two? It's not as if they use it for anything - I don't know, keep goats or play football or croquet - or polo perhaps - they've got enough acres. Someone told me it's to do with imagining they're Lords of the Manor - or something. Another theory of mine is that, with some kind of subconscious pioneer instinct,  they like to be able to  see the enemy approaching.  Well no sooner had they stopped and I was looking forward to some peace, than I heard the first rumble of thunder. You can't win. 

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