Futile escalation

A cooler night, making it easier to sleep, but my strained shoulder kept me awake more than my bladder. I didn't sleep for long enough and had to contend with persistent drowsiness into the afternoon. Maybe it's the restorative quality of sleep that's lacking. We went to the St Catherine's Eucharist. Fr Rhys celebrated the anniversary of his ordination anticipating the feast of St Peter the Apostle the traditional ordination day. The congregation was unaccountably half its usual size. There's no extreme heat warning today, it's breezy, 20C with bright sunshine delivering a mix of strong heat and cool gusts. It reminds me of alpine weather in early spring, thirty years ago. Glaciers melt more rapidly now as winter snow covering ancient ice doesn't last as long. 

Fighting has broken out again in the Straight of Hormuz, after an Iranian drone attack on a commercial vessel, asserting its control and ownership of the waterway, America responded by bombing oil export infrastructure and military targets in a vain attempt to force Iran to accept truce proposals. Iran retaliated by attacking Kuwait and Bahrain, where the US Navy's Middle East Headquarters has been significantly damaged. It's Iran's response to Trump's claim that future control of traffic through the Straight is in his hands. Confronted with Trump's bellicose rhetoric, Iran demonstrates its defiance militarily, adding to the anxieties of America's Gulf State allies. Escalation and threats of escalation can only undermine cease fire negotiations in the light of Iran's strategic advantage, possessing the Straight of Hormuz as its border.

Meanwhile, Israel has instigated a process involving the Lebanese army in disarming Hezbollah militias as part of returning full control of the country to its government. Will this work, after Israeli troops have displaced a million people, destroyed homes and killed more than eight thousand? The Lebanese government is too weak and divided to disarm Hezbollah on its own, but trusting Israel which has so forcibly deprived Lebanese people of their sovereignty is a lot to ask in these circumstances.

We had falafel with red cabbage and new potatoes for lunch. Afterwards I slept soundly for three quarters of an hour in my armchair but it didn't entirely dissipate the drowsiness, not even after walking in Llandaff Fields for another three quarters of an hour. I spent the evening until bed time watching a couple of episodes of 'Blanca' as I didn't have the energy for writing.

Interpreting

It's not quite so hot today at 24C but it's humid and cloudy. I didn't sleep so well as shoulder pain made it hard to relax into sleep, and get started after waking up late. Clare had already cooked pancakes and gone out shopping when I had breakfast. 

I spent the morning watching a video of the speaker Ali Gray at the Ty Mawr Associates Day conference with 'Eco-Anxiety'. She spoke about the climate crisis and the practical faith response that's possible for disciples of Christ. The audio responses from her listeners weren't loud enough to follow unfortunately. It was good that conversations and story telling were bound to emerge from such a group of participants. It led me to spending much of the day writing about my journey into understanding and helping others to understand about environmental concerns and human development.

Clare cooked ravioli for lunch. Afterwards I walked a couple of circuits of Llandaff Fields while thinking about what I wanted to reflect upon in telling my 'environmental' story. I've never seen myself as an activist, but as an educator interpreting scientific insight to people with little understanding of how scientific method works. This absorbed my slow thinking brain for the rest of the day until it was time for a breath of fresh air before bed.

Cooling down

Another hot and humid night soaked in sweat, sleeping in fits and starts, needing to drink plenty of water and slow to get started when I got up at nine. The sky is clear, the sun fiercely bright, it's 28C and rising. Blinds and curtains down, windows closed to prevent the in-flow of hot air as much as possible. Gulls cry out from the rooftops as if they are complaining about the heat. I trimmed my goatee as short as stubble when shaving this morning, hoping this will let my chin feel the benefit of the breeze if we get any today.

I cooked a savoury veg and lentil dish with rice for lunch, and then had a siesta to appease the tiredness that accumulates over a series of restless nights. Before going for a walk I finished reading John Doyle's novel 'Communion'. It segues between being the story of a lonely failed seminarian working as a steel works security guard at the time of the Port Talbot Passion Play in 2012, and a crime drama in which he is manipulated by a girl friend from his teenage years into being a 'useful idiot' in bomb plot logistics. 

She tells him her plan claiming the confidential seal of the confessional (though he isn't ordained and isn't licensed to hear confessions. He avoids betraying her confidence and extricates himself from her plot by destroying surveillance video and equipment in which they appear, then dumps his keys in the river while disguised as a character in the passion play, wearing liturgical vestments brought home from seminary. 

We are not told if the bomb goes off in the closed down steel works? We're not told if the security lodge gets blown up eliminating evidence of his action. He has found a way to do the right thing but we are offered no clue as to whether he finds satisfaction or fulfilment in this. The basic premiss is annoying, relying on a flawed idea about the discipline of the confessional. It's annoying not to find out if there's any possibility of relief proposed from loneliness or inability to make meaningful relationships. It's a bleak portrayal of existence in a world without hope that anything can ever change for the better.

There was a cooling breeze from the west, driving hot air eastwards, bringing welcome relief from the humidity, but remained warm inside a house that takes a while to cool down again after a week of hot weather. I

Double Earthquake in Venezuela

Despite the heat I was able to sleep and was awake in the night only for an hour, but I didn't feel rested after nine hours in bed. The lowest temperature in Bute Park last night was a record breaking 23.5C and higher daytime temperatures are expected above 35C today. Clare bought a couple of cheap fans to use. 

In the morning news, reports of a double earthquake in Venezuela with hundreds killed. Since Trump's removal of President Maduro from office, American emergency aid will be made available quicker than it might have been otherwise. Both houses of the American Congress have opposed continuing financial support for Trump's war against Iran. The impact on the American economy and huge military expenditure concerns Democrats and Republicans alike. Peace talks continue during the sixty day truce. Iran calls for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, but Netanyahu persists in waging war against Iran backed Hezbollah, ignoring Trump's criticism of his action for putting the truce at risk. The Israeli American alliance is under strain while America and Iran negotiate, regardless of what Israel gets up to. Netanyahu's defence policy relies on attacking Iran and its allies. He relied on Trump's support for this, but making war didn't lead to regime change or Iranian defeat. Will Netanyahu survive much longer politically? The mess this war has made for Middle Eastern countries allied to America is leading them all to reassess relationships with Iran, America and Israel.

We stayed indoors this morning and went out after lunch, walking in the shade of the trees in Thompson's Park for half an hour. There was a breeze, which was cooling in the shade, but gusting hot in exposed streets, I couldn't stay out for long. 

A fledgling gull found its way into our garden. Not the best place to forage or take refuge. I opened the back gate and shooed it out of the flower bed into the lane with a sweeping brush. 

I went out again after supper and walked slowly for an hour stopping at benches often as my legs were unaccountably stiff. It was 31C after sunset. It's supposed to cool down over the next few days. I hope so. The persistent high humidity has made yesterday and today unpleasant,

Midsummer heat feast

A humid night, losing a couple of hours of sleep, but feeling none the worse for this. I seem to adjust easily to higher ambient temperatures, and find I'm sharper, more alert. All I have to do is avoid unnecessary exertion and exposure to sun and wind that would cause me to overheat. Heaven knows why, but I'm grateful to feel less worse due to sleep loss than I might do otherwise.

I posted today's YouTube Morning Prayer link to WhatsApp when I got up at eight. St Catherine's was pleasantly cool for today's celebration of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. Cancellation of the service I was due to celebrate at St John's left me free to attend the St Catherine's Eucharist, celebrated by Fr Colin. There were six of us altogether. By the time I was on my way home from coffee and chat following the service, the temperature rose from 25 to 31C.

Work on the loft conversion next door but one must be nearing completion, a fully loaded builder's skip was taken away while I was out this morning. I imagine little work can be carried out safely on roof tile replacement or loft conversion jobs in weather as hot as this. It's the hottest June day on record apparently.

Clare cooked fish and made couscous to go with it for lunch, not so heavy on the digestion in this weather. I ventured out to post a letter, then dozed in my armchair for an hour, and ventured out to buy fruit - short spells outdoors, cooling off in between. The same in the evening too. The humidity is inescapable. When I went out for an evening walk there a concert by 'The Cure' was taking place in Bute Park. The volume of heavy sound from bass and drums echoing a mile away from the concert stage was unpleasant and obtrusive, the singer and cheering audience in between numbers were hardly audible in comparison.

Later when it was quieter, I recorded and edited the audio for next Wednesday's Morning Prayer, made the video slide show and uploaded it to YouTube, relieved to find concentration to work on it despite the heat, Slowly after sunset the air cooled down, so it was possible to keep the bedroom window open at bed time. So far I've avoided using the dehumidifier. It's not a welcome noise when you're trying to fall asleep.

Coping with the heat

Another good night's sleep. As it's warmer now, it doesn't take so long to drop off again after getting up to empty my bladder. It's humid today with the temperature rising above 30C. Yesterday's thunder storms caused Bristol airport's radar and air traffic control systems to malfunction, so the airport had to close. Increasing frequency of extreme weather events and the element of unpredictability is likely to have an impact on air travel the world now relies on, even more lasting than bouts of conflict.

Peace talks between America and Iran are continuing in Switzerland. Marine traffic through the Straight of Hormuz slowly builds up, the blockade of Iranian ports is lifted and inspection of Iranian nuclear facilities is said to be agreed, but contradictory statements are issued by each side about what is actually happening. Trump is notorious for making public statements that keep people guessing. It seems Iran is willing to play the same game. Israel continues deadly strikes against Hezbollah in South Lebanon. America is trying to mediate in talks to end fighting that threatens progress in talks between Iran and America. Hezbollah isn't included.

Fran arrived for a study session with Clare mid morning, but she was the only one. I hope the parking restrictions in our area aren't acting as a deterrent. Other group members may be away, or reluctant to go out in the heat. I had a call from Eileen who holds the key for St John's. I'm booked to celebrate the Eucharist there tomorrow, but it seems the congregation of regulars, all elderly, are reluctant to venture out while there's an amber/red heat warning, so we agreed to cancel and I announced it on WhatsApp.

I cooked sausages for lunch, with sweet potatoes and new potatoes plus carrots, then I walked for an hour in the shade of the trees in Llandaff and Pontcanna Fields. I can tolerate this kind of humid heat without ill effect. It's a legacy of time spent on locum duty in the heat of the Costa del Sol. I slow down, drink plenty of water, seek the breeze and shade, take every opportunity to linger in cool places and always wear a sun hat outdoors if the sun is high. The parks are quieter than usual, fewer picnickers, runners or cyclists, a handful of people sunbathing in the afternoon heat.

Last Saturday when I walked in Pontcanna Fields I came across a large Holm Oak that lay across the path running beside the boundary wall of the cricket ground. Since then it's been made safe and its huge fallen limb cut into sections. Will these be taken somewhere else and used, or simply left to rot in situ? As often seems to be the case. It's unsightly in my opinion, making the park appear less cared for than it really is.

I spent the evening reading the novel 'Communion' by John Doyle, a writer from Port Talbot, which Clare gave me for my birthday. He portrays the life of a working class Catholic living in the shadow of the steel works in this present era of conversion from coal fired steel making to electric arc furnaces with the social upheaval and industrial relations issues involved for the community and its workers. At the same time it portrays the staging of the Port Talbot community's Passion Play under the leadership of the actor and local boy Michael Sheen. I'm glad I saw a video of that production ten years ago, as it gives the real life context for the drama going on in the background at the heart of the story. The writer uses a plethora of short sentences not only for conversation but for describing a scene in poetic detail, or evoking a mood, a bit like a pointillist painter. On times this makes reading slow going. Maybe it's because I'm getting tired, or just finding this device tiresome.

A dignified resignation

A good night's sleep as it was comfortably warm. The house interior is cooler than outdoors where it's 30C today. I spent the morning reflecting about the place we call home home in an email exchange with Sara. 

Sir Keir Starmer announced his resignation as Prime Minister in an honourable dignified way. He accepts his leadership no longer has support from his colleagues and promises to support Andy Burnham who is returning to Westminster as heir apparent having won huge popular support at the ballot box with mass media attention spotlighting him for weeks past. He's capable and has been effective as Mayor of Manchester, but it remains to be seen how he will fare juggling roles as a leader on the international stage and crisis managing the government. Boris Johnson was a media darling too and the last election was lost under his leadership.

Clare cooked a veggie pasta dish for lunch and after we'd eaten I went to Jason's green-grocery to stock up on veg supplies. Then I went out for a mid afternoon walk under my brolly in a drizzle of light rain which cooled the air initially but drove up the humidity. The hour I was out in Llandaff Fields was accompanied by distant rumbles of thunder from the south west. Bristol and Somerset have been hit by heavy storms and flash floods. Who knows what will happen in South East Wales on top of the extreme heat expected?