More new trees

Overcast and cold again today. I slept well enough, and woke up clear headed and sharp but the combined effect of the meds had their usual ill effect as the morning continued. Clare cooked buckwheat pancakes for breakfast, then I went out and walked in Llandaff Fields for almost an hour to clear my head with no success. I noticed that half a dozen new saplings had been planted along the avenue of chestnut trees since yesterday, identifiable by fresh soil around the base that hadn't yet dried out. Two large old chestnut trees on the avenue have been felled because of storms last autumn. The transition to smaller climate resilient trees continues apace, and will eventually provide more shaded areas to benefit park users.

The Iranian president apologised to neighbouring Gulf States for attacks on them, and says Iran would not attack them unless attacked first. The Shi'a hard line Revolutionary Guard Corps promises to continue to defend itself, determined to go down fighting. Although its frequency of attacks is further reduced, they haven't stopped. Dubai Airport was closed again for a while this morning by a drone attack. The president of Iran is more moderate, implying he is open to negotiating an end to hostilities but may be over-ruled by hard liners among the elite leadership.

Trump is determined to pursue a destructive course with no idea of what the eventual outcome may be, if his variable public utterances are anything to go by.  He demands 'unconditional surrender'. If the regime capitulates, or does collapse and Iran becomes ungovernable, civil war may follow.  Trump seems to think he and his cronies can manage a situation in which America is regarded with hatred not only for its malign influence but also for the deaths of over a thousand people, in addition to the supreme leader and his team. Subjugation of people willing to interpret fighting to the death as a heroic triumph is not a path to peace. 

Military escorts for tankers using the Straights of Hormuz won't necessarily ensure the flow of gas and oil exports will continue. One tanker in transit has been hit by a drone today. Oil production was shut down as storage capacity filled up. The price of oil is rising, and this will have a big impact on the global economy. Putin is in contact with Iranian leaders. Who knows what mischief he is getting up to?  Russia, hit by oil export sanctions depriving its economy of revenue to wage war with, will benefit from oil price rises from the cargoes which get through the blockade.

Kath arrived to spend the weekend with us after lunch. We walked in the park and had a take-away supper from Stefanos. I didn't fancy eating out as it's often noisy with an overlay of Italian muzak combining to make it hard to talk at the table with my concentration impaired by the drugs. The portions were generous, and more enjoyable for sitting in the peace and quiet of home. We spent the rest of the evening chatting until bed time.