Swimming Weather

It's a beautiful day. The temperature is rising up toward 90 degrees and in the house it's creeping up toward 80. We don't have airco, and wouldn't use it if we did, so we are a bit warm. But that's okay. We're watching Season Seven of the BBC pricedural New Tricks, featuring three retired police investigators now acting as advisors to the cold case unit. It's brilliant, funny, dramatic, and I relate to it completely. I love the heroes to be my age. It gives me hope.

Life ain't over till it's over.

Earlier we talked to newphew Erik in Holland. There, it's raining. More than usual. I was curious because more than half the United States is draught-ridden and hot. More than unusual. 2012 is shaping up to be a strange year weather-wise, which seems to be something we say every year. Whether it is the natural cycle of things or human-impacted global warning or both or neither is for others more expert than me to debate. Diane and I do have a theory: the great earthquake that hit Japan last year rang the earth like a bell and shifted the earth on its axis. We think it was enought to change climate patterns planetwide, the way volcanic ash in the atmosphere cools the planet. This time the result has to do with currents and water flow. Even a subtle change can impact the weather for decades.

Earth's weather is complex. There are patterns within patterns within patterns, ten thousand year cycles, 500 year cycles, 50 year cycles, ten year cycles, all playing around within each other. We're just along for the ride, and yes, human activity is exaserbating the situation, but Gaia has her own ideas on how to be.

We won't save the earth. The earth will survive despite us. Things may change on the surface; other life forms may rise to prominence. We human beings are just fleas on the back of a dog, and sometimes she scratches.

I can argue, complain, suggest, cajole, protest and support to my heart's content, and often do. But I still can't control the weather. My grandson is coming for his overnight tomorrow. It will be warm. We're going swimming.