The temperature in my house has broken the record of twenty-nine degrees Celsius, but only by half a degree. Now I look forward to thirty degrees with euphoria.

Addendum I (July 22, 2015)

Two days later, the new record is finally at hand. It is thirty degrees Celsius exactly in my house. Hooray! But it is clear that there will be new records galore. Year after year, they will be piling up. The only question is whether there will be anyone to record and celebrate them with due care.

Addendum II (September 7, 2015)

The summer is not yet over, but it is getting rather cool already. The last record of thirty degrees Celsius in my house will thus hold until the next summer. But the cool spell has come a bit earlier than usual, and it is a bit more biting than anyone has expected. This morning I spotted a field covered with frost in the Mirna valley. Just in case something was wrong with my eyes, I rubbed them twice at the unexpected sight. And I am wearing woolen socks this evening. Right now, it is twenty-three degrees Celsius in my house. According to the meteorologists, it will get warmer in the next week or two, but the sudden chill is still hard to get used to. Quite a few people in Motovun have already pulled out some of their winter clothing. To wit, there will surely be records galore in the years to come, but it is likely that they will go both ways.

Addendum III (August 9, 2017)

One more time, the temperature in my house has reached thirty degrees Celsius. This happened three days ago, on August 6. But the record temperature held for a few hours only. Late in the day, a huge storm hit Motovun. Following blustering winds and much rain, the temperature dropped during the night. By the morning, it was twenty-six degrees in my house. Predictably enough, a new heat wave set in at once, and my house got hotter and hotter once again. By today, the temperature has risen to twenty-eight degrees one more time. More rain is expected the next few days, and it is quite likely that it will get cooler the rest of the summer. Fingers crossed. But the future is far from bright. Summers are sure to become ever hotter, and my house will turn into a veritable oven. I would not be surprised if I eventually witnessed temperatures close to forty degrees. At the same time, it could be around fifty degrees Celsius outside the house. And survival will be the only remaining goal in life.

Addendum IV (July 25, 2022)

Seven years after the original haiku and five years after the last addendum, the temperature in my house is back at the old record—thirty degrees Celsius. Surprisingly enough, this record has not been broken so far in spite of so many heatwaves the last few years. As plenty of rain is expected tomorrow, the record is not likely to be broken any time soon, either. Alas, global warming can be disappointing at times! I certainly expected many more records in the intervening period. Not to worry, though. Sooner or later, I will report new records. Forever an optimist, I am willing to bet on thirty-five degrees in my house by 2025 at the latest. Three cheers for optimism in all its guises!

Addendum V (July 8, 2025)

After a few heatwaves, which started early this summer, the highest temperature in my house had been no more than twenty-nine degrees Celsius. In short, I would have lost my bet from three years ago. Nonetheless, I decided to buy a portable air-conditioning unit earlier this month (Addendum of July 3, 2025, to “Cooling Down the House,” July 3, 2015). In spite of the fact that the temperature in my house has not yet surpassed its record of thirty degrees, climate change is gathering momentum. And how. On top of that, I am getting ever longer in the tooth. Returning to my bet, chances are that the temperature in my house would eventually reach thirty-five degrees without the technology of this day and age. It is a question of only a few years, I reckon. Which is why I am already thinking about installing a veritable air-conditioning system in my house before the end of the year. Alleluia!

Addendum VI (August 12, 2025)

The portable air-conditioning unit that I acquired last month was not to my liking in spite of the fact that it cooled down my house reasonably well. To begin with, it was way too loud. More important, it discharged plenty of water, which accumulated in a large bucket next to it. I had to empty it every three hours. Earlier this month I asked one of the local experts in air-conditioning to install a proper unit in my livingroom. It is now on the wall to the left of the chimney above the fireplace. In addition, there is a unit connected to it in the space between my house and the house of my neighbors down Borgo, which is in my ownership. Anyhow, the noise is gone, and the water now empties on the street. The new unit is far from cheep, but I now feel protected from forthcoming heatwaves. On top of that, the new unit will provide some heat during the cold months. Winters in Motovun are not harsh, and I will be in good shape with house temperature during the entire year. The expert who has installed the air-conditioning unit will service it once a year, and I will be free from all worries concerning the climate. Phew!