Great win for Ecuador against Germany last night. Ecuador go through to the next round along with Germany and Ivory Coast. Very enjoyable to see a team playing so hard to win a match. When I see teams like this in the World Cup I despair that England are my team. Maybe it is better to just be a neutral and enjoy good football, which I do of course when England aren't playing, but I always fall back on to England.
This happens in every World Cup, I remember South Korea in a Cup gone by, was it really 2002?, and their passion that never seems to quite make it to England teams. Perhaps it is to do with our national psyche. No love for our country seeps into the veins and our feet and our hearts.
I am enjoying the heat, not having to do anything makes it enjoyable. I don't fret about the night time or any of the things I see written about that people fret about in the heat. I am glad we didn't have internet and social media in 1976, we just enjoyed it, outdoor living like I had never seen it before, Marsden beach was like the Riviera.
I will enjoy my day and the sunshine, please do the same, relax.
In my house no fans, no doors open, just bedroom window.
If you have that door open to the garden and you feed the visiting wildlife be aware that a rat will walk in to your house without hesitation. Take that from a farmer.
Quito is the capital of Ecuador. La Paz is the capital of Bolivia. Lima is the capital of Peru.
The Ecuador manager had really cool hair. He is Argentinian and the capital of Argentina is Buenos Aires.
When a rat finds a good source of food, particularly left overs, chicken, etc. it will remember it like it a good restaurant and it will return. It will be its first food seeking jaunt in the night. It may not recognise any boundaries of houses, gardens, ownership or fences, but it will remember a good source of food location. Rats are not dumb animals. Ask any farmer.
Some teams really do play with passion. It's wonderful to watch. I saw Modric play in the Croatian match. He's a passionate player. And amazing staying power.
ReplyDelete1976 was my last summer in London. I remember the heat. Then I came down to Greece for the last of the summer. I didn't notice the heat back then.
Still not too hot here yet. We have all our windows and doors open but with fly screens. They keep out the cats during the day and the mosquitoes at night. And the shutters are marvellous. They are kept at half mast. Let the breeze through but keep the sun out.
Thanks for the capitals . I always remember Peru for some reason but not the rest.
Like the eastern European cities. I remember some but not all
My mother always had a door block at low level because of creatures that might walk in so I get my warning from her. I haven't got a suitable block here so I keep the door shut. I was in the north east in 1976 and it came alive with outdoor living like I had never seen before. I remember my mother used to write me letters about the farm and the harvest and the heat.
DeleteI always loved the South American capitals for some reason. They sounded different and far away.
I can remember the heat in 1976. we used to go put for lovely night time walks and enjoyed the coolness and all the scents of plants and flowers. I also remember a hot summer when bread was still delivered to the door. I put the bread on top of a bookcase in the hall , while I went to see to the children in the back garden.. when I came in and went to put the bread away. a rat had come inside and eaten all the inside of the loaves ,just leaving most of the crusts intact. As you say they will just walk in if the doors and windowsare left open. Here we have had a fox come in and walk around the living room, completely ignoring us. Also squirrells have come in through the windows.
ReplyDeleteDid you see the pictures of the luminous tides we have had in Wales ?
One time when we were in California, we stayed on the beach over night. There was an amazing luminous tide. The breakers were running high and it was almost full moon.. A school of dolphins came and played in the breakers. as you can imagine it was quite magical.
Glad you are enjoying your summer.
Kathy xx
My neighbour feeds critters on his driveway on the ground. He attracts rats which when my cats were younger they would catch but now they are old they don't hunt very much. I have spoken to him about the wildlife he attracts but he is a city person and doesn't take it on board. Your bread story is a good illustration of what can happen. My mother would tell stories of the bold rat. We have many grey squirrels hanging around too..
DeleteI have not seen the luminous tides you mention in Wales. I will have to see what luminous tides are.
I have just been out for petrol and papers and it is 31C at 10.30. I am now watching football as discussed with Linda above.
Rachel xx
Its causes by types of plankton and is harmlesa. I seem to remember they release energy when disturbed (the breakers) and this causes the bright blues abd greens. I can imagine the dolphins enjoying playing in the sparkling surf,
DeleteKathy xx
Hope you are enjoying your football
Ah yes, plankton. Beauty in the sea water.
DeleteI watched the football hightlights of USA v Turkey then I watched two hours of recent Balkan history and the break-up of Yugoslavia. A rare morning of daytime television. I was left wondering when the next Balkan war is going to be...
I think that the not so recent history of the area gives more depth of understanding about all the different streses and strains thet the area is affected by, but I hope it will not come to that
DeleteKathy
It is certainly anything but stable and with Turkey, China and Russia in the zone of "friendships" and with non-recognition of Kosova as a separate state by Serbia and Bosnian schools being split to two schools within one on ethnic lines it is a very volatile situation. I could go on...
DeleteI am glad you enjoyed the football. It's not something that interests me. but I will watch the final if England reaches it. The English league teams are full of foreigners, enjoying football and gaining experience, which they then use in their national teams. As I understand it, when it comes to assembling an English team, the most favoured players have departed for their own nations.
ReplyDeleteThis is not exactly true. England have an extremely talented group of players assembled for the World Cup. It is regarded as one of the best squads of the tournament.
DeleteI love summer - always have done and still do. But when daytime temps reach 38 or even 40C and the nights do not get any cooler than 22C and the air is not moving at all and no matter that you keep ALL your windows wide open all night, the heat simply doesn't shift in your flat and you lay on your bed completely naked and without a cover and STILL the sweat is running down your body, making it impossible to sleep but you're expected to do well at work the next day - then it's not a lovely summer anymore, then it's a full grown heatwave.
ReplyDeleteI have been coping reasonably well because I am lucky in that on days working from home, I usually can have a half hour nap around lunch time, which greatly helps, and at the office my room is still cool enough to make for acceptable working conditions.
But those whose jobs are outdoors, such as builders, gardeners, dustbin collectors and more, are really suffering. They have adjusted work schedules as much as possible, starting very early in the morning, with frequent pauses to drink the water provided by their employers so that they keep hydrated.
According to the local news, E&Rs at the hospitals around here are full of people who have not adapted their schedules, activities and diets to the record-braking temperatures we've been experiencing here. Some people will insist on still going for runs, or eating heavy, full meals and don't keep hydrated. I must admit I don't feel sorry for them if they end up with a heatstroke (you know my view of taking responsibility for our own health), but I feel sorry for the nurses and other staff who have to deal with them; they are overworked as it is.
Germany losing last night's game meant a quiet night in my neighbourhood - no cars honking, people shouting and cheering!
Yes, I understand that first paragraph. It is 37C here this afternoon (and could be higher) and I am glad to be inside my house. If I was working in my last job I am aware that we would have kept as cool as possible but travel to and from the office would have been very "testing" in the heat. We were not able to work from home at that time but it may have changed now.
DeleteI heard that people are still seen running and jogging and it is advised that it is best to take a rest from it in this heat. I passed cyclists at 32C this morning but no runners. Of course cyclists in the Tour de France cycle at these temperatures.
In hot countries hours are worked differently with siestas and early starts. Our binmen have changed their hours to adapt just as you describe and the schools are finishing early although this is, of course, creating difficult for many parents who both work and may be many miles from home during the daytime. It is hard to find a satisfactory solution for all.
Germany still qualify for the last 32 and top of their group and it was an entertaining game to watch for the neutral.