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Conversations about the Weather in an Old Fashioned Manner

24
th
October, 2014



My dearest Ferdinand,

Of course this notes Im sending to you during your time of silence and serenity
do not expect an answer of any sort or kind. I will not say that this e-mail is a
non-reply because I take pride in not having fallen into the poverty and
vulgarity of computer language, (or should I say garbage?)

Peace and quiet in Santillanashire were slightly disturbed last night in our
Thursdays Cold Dinner. Here I must enter into a little digression to point out
that we were able to have this weekly gathering in one of our courtyards because
of the lovely weather we have been enjoying during the last week. It is sure that
you will agree that the fact of having dinner outside in the epilogue days of
October is simply too joyful to be overlooked and has to be stated explicitly.

I myself have a personal theory (something you know Im prone to) about it and
it is that we are now immersed in a delayed Veranillo de San Miguel that
started around last Friday, precisely the day of your birthday. The climax of
the Veranillo (or Summerette if you prefer so) was reached during the
weekend and being on Saturday the festivity of the Apostle St.Luke, at the main
table of the light blue-grayish dining room during breakfast, our young new
Principal suggested rather emphatically that this was the Veranillo de San
Lucas.

Out of politeness and for the sake of peace I didnt say anything immediately and
had a sip of coffee as if nothing had happened. Evidently I was a bit tense due to
such a misconception being spread with gaiety but I was able to hide any trace of
my emotions when I replied a bit later that such title as Veranillo de San
Lucas was unheard of, whereas Veranillo de San Miguel is universally
accepted and acclaimed and there have even been scientists who have
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demonstrated its cosmic causes due to the peculiarities of the orbits of the stars
and planets and the relative movements of Earth and Sun. I read an essay on the
subject some time ago but I have forgotten all the technical details if I ever really
got to understand them as they were so abstract and uninteresting; in fact to keep
on with the full sincerity and crude openness of heart which are a given in this
letters and maybe its higher pleasures I admit that I wasnt in the mood to finish
the article, but that did not deter me from acquiring the firm conviction that
the Veranillo de San Miguel is a non-negotiable place in weather conversation.
And I am a man of strong convictions.

Coming back to our breakfast conversation I think that the truth imposed itself
out of its own virtue and strength and the notion of Veranillo de San Lucas is
likely to be fortunately thrown away to the attic along with Spinozas Ethics and
Schopenhauers Studies in Pessimism. Although the matter seems to be settled
and the Principal has not insisted in his views publicly I overheard a small
muttering of his the next day when we were in the second floor terrace at the
appetizers before Sundays luncheon and the weather was magnificent. Someone
pointed out what a great day it was and immediately I drew the conversation
back to the concept of a delayed Veranillo de San Miguel, to reinforce my
brothers in the truth, and was accepted peacefully. It was in this moment that I
couldnt help but overhear some trembling words in a low voice by the Principal,
but they were not distinguishable and I was the only one to notice something. He
is just alone in his delirious ideas.

Dissent could have been accepted openly on the table if, for example, someone
would have argued that we are not in a delayed Veranillo de San Miguel but in
a soon Veranillo de San Martn since the improvement in the weather
happened to start on a day nearly equally distant to both feast days. But although
I understand that this hypothesis can be supported without entering the realm of
the absurd and I even experience some sympathetic and affectionate feelings
towards it for personal reasons (notice the name), objectivity must be preserved
at all costs and the weight of evidence in my opinion is by far at the side of the
delayedVeranillo de San Miguel scenario and I will tell you why.

In the final days of September, which we remember perfectly clear, Veranillo
de San Miguel just didnt take place. Since it is a scientifically demonstrated
weather phenomenon as cited above it must occur at some moment sooner or
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later. The reasoning is clear to me as it should be to everyone else whose logic is
not blurred by passion. Furthermore it is clear that Veranillo de San Martin
cannot come without its angelical announcer and celestial prophet having taken
place. A strong point in favor of our hypothesis would be a delay also
in Veranillo de San Martn but for this we must wait with patience.

Things dont come the way we plan and what was going to be a digression
became the subject of the letter, and with justice. I will only give you a hint of
the topic I had in my mind when I started to write.

Thursday dinner out was going on as usual when we heard the story from the lips
of a guest who is well and properly acquainted in good society that he had spent
a night in the now unfortunately famous Villa at an exclussive neighborhood
which has been occupied, by God knows what means, during some time by the
celebrated in the media Small Tramp. It seems that he is in very good terms
with a close friend of the famous impostor. The details of their shared moments
will undoubtedly be a subject in our talks these days and I will let you know
them as they unveil.

Always truly yours,