Too darned hot!

It's the time of la canicule - in other words, the annual heatwave, which gets hotter every year. We had lunch on the patio where the temperature in dappled sun was 40C. We stuck it out, but it was a bad idea. Inside the house it was much cooler, and that's were Candy, my miniature Yorkie, retired very quickly, bless her. How can you explain to two kilos of dog why she's so hot? We have plenty of trees in our garden, but even in the shade it's too hot to sit out in the afternoon. Fortunately, I remembered to keep the shutters and windows shut this morning and it's just about bearable in my office with the fan going. A good job, too, because I really need to buckle down and do some work. Yesterday, an hour's coffee break with Maryse left me brain dead and with ears that drooped with fatigue. I don't think I said more than half a dozen words and I doubt she heard them. It's a while since we saw one another, so she had a full itinerary to report and did, from A to Z and back again! Tomorrow, it's the turn of Marie-Catherine. She, at least, leaves me space to practice my French, other than shrugs and nods. Okay, chapter 11 awaits and I'm looking forward to a bit of forties nostalgia.