More Recent Reading
I am reading this small book and doing some Internet searching on
the topic of "the Green Man" which is the theme for Burning Man, 2007.
I like Bill Bryson's writings, so I bought this book which is an account of
his 2,100 mile trek of the Appalachian Trail. After I read it, I'll give it to
my friend, Alex, who is, over time, walking the Appalachian Trail.
Enjoying Southern France through the eyes of Englishman, Peter Mayle.
Here is an excerpt (I knew the Mistral Winds could be very strong, but
I didn't know they could be so cold.) ...
"For three years in a row, winters had been noticeably harder than anyone could remember -- cold enough, in fact, to kill ancient olive trees. It was. to use the phrase that comes out in Provence whenever the sun goes in, pas normal. But why? Monsieur Menicucci gave me a token two seconds to ponder this phenomenon before warming to his thesis, tapping me with a finger from time to time to make sure I was paying attention.
"It was clear, he said, that the winds which brought the cold down from Russia were arriving in Provence with greater velocity than before, taking less time to reach their destination and therefore having less time to warm up en route. And the reason for this -- Monsieur Menicucci allowed himself a brief but dramatic pause -- was a change in the configuration of the earth's crust. Mais oui. Somewhere between Siberia and Menerbes the curvature of the earth had flattened, enabling the wind to take a more direct route south. It was entirely logical. Unfortunately, part two of the lecture (Why the Earth Is Becoming Flatter) was interrupted by a crack of another burst pipe, and my education was put aside for some virtuoso work with the blowtorch."