20140606.0759

Several things to discuss today.

First, I am glad to wake up in a world where the Spurs can take the Heat. May the trend continue!

Second, and probably most important for the world at large, today marks seventy years since the D-Day invasion of Normandy. May such works never be needed again; may those who did such things have taught a lesson that never needs repeating, and may they be honored for the teaching!

Third, and of more importance to me, my parents celebrate a third of a century of marriage today. Or they ought to; they have been married for thirty-three years, and that deserves commemoration, just as their thirtieth did and those in their future together undoubtedly will.

Fourth, the Tales after Tolkien Society is gaining some ground. Information about it is here, and since I am one of the contributors to the volumes, I am not at all displeased.

Fifth, it may have been noticed that I have been writing in this webspace later than had been my wont. I am on break from teaching at present, and so I have taken the chance to sleep a bit later than I do while I am working. And I find that it is harder for me to get out of bed than it used to be; it is comfortable, and I am less willing to divest myself of that comfort than I have been. Perhaps the fact that the air conditioner in the bedroom my wife and I share blows more or less directly onto my feet helps; I am quite cool when I sleep, and I have tended to appreciate a cool bedroom, finding it improves the quality of my sleep. (While I was in the shower, I had thought of more things to say, but between drying off and sitting down with a cup of coffee to write, I lost them. Damn.)

Sixth, the weather at Sherwood Cottage continues to be interesting. We have rain again, which is welcome. The weather had been humid for a while, but rain had not been forthcoming, so matters were relatively annoying. With the rain, some good is happening for the land where the wind comes sweeping down the plain. The creeks and rivers around have been quite low for some time; it will be good to get some water into them. And there are some people who are only now getting a shower...

The only problem with the rain so far--and may it remain the only problem with the rain!--is of the sort seen yesterday. Rain fell in the morning, and then the sun came out in full force, sending some of the water back to the heavens from which it had fallen. It did so by way of the local air, increasing the humidity quite a bit and making things...uncomfortable. I have to wonder how those who lived here before air conditioning managed to endure, especially since they seem not to have had the advantages in dealing with the heat and humidity that such people as the Cajuns and the earlier indigenous folks had. It is for such reasons, among many others, that I am not the kind of medievalist who thinks that we ought to return to a medieval way of life. Air conditioning and information technology are my friends...