Inclement

Just as I arrived at the pool this morning, an hour later than usual because I'd been to get my hair cut first, a few spots of rain fell from a passing cloud. The effect was instantaneous. All the people in the pool leapt out, flung on clothes and abandoned the premises. So I had a very nice tranquil swim on my own, as the cloud duly passed by and the sun shone.

But then ... this is what happened mid-afternoon. Sepulchral darkness, continuous thunder, and hailstones pinging loudly off parked cars. I can't remember when we last had rain like this. It lasted about an hour, during which time the temperature dropped by several degrees, and then the sky gradually cleared. It was clement enough for pizza night to happen as normal; there was a good crowd.

Earlier, I struggled to manage the bread-making process in a kitchen where it was 30C. Too hot really (optimal temperature for dough: around 24 ...). I eventually got my loaf out of the oven at 9:30. It was OK, not amazing; I'll wait for it to get a bit cooler before baking another one!