Patrick 0’Brian

It was blessedly cooler but still touched 29.5C at 16.00. A delightful northerly breeze took the sting out of the heat and I finally got round to refixing some recalcttiles. Patrick O’Brian and some plant supports came in handy holding a big tile in place.

There is even talk of rain next week as a large Atlantic depression and a weakening of the African high pressure over the Atlantic May allow cold front to cross the Alps and March into central Italy. We shall see.

It is a long time now since we’ve seen any rain. The spring in the field continues to run faithfully and I’m pumping up over 1000 litres a day for the garden. The lawns, such as they are, have assumed their blonde hue and will amazingly rush back to life when the autumn wet comes.