Tiny flies have appeared a couple of weeks ago. I see them both inside and outside buildings. They are so tiny that it is difficult to figure out where they are coming from or where they are going. The suddenly appear in front of my eyes, and then they disappear. Except if they end up in my drink. As far as I can tell, they like both wine and beer. But I am starting to wonder about the timing of their appearance. It is autumn, for crying out loud! What are they going to do this winter? Or am I more confused by seasons than they are? Chances are that flies are far less confused about such things than humans. After all, flies have been around much, much longer. As a quick check of the World Wide Web shows, they go as far back as about a quarter of a billion years. Now, beat that if you can!

Addendum (November 13, 2012)

Almost a month later, tiny flies are becoming a real nuisance. And in Motovun, as well. Sitting at Benjamin’s, I am forever fishing them out of my wine. Many of them recover from the drink rather quickly, too. Benjamin Pahović and his wife, Milica, are quite surprised by the epidemic. They know the hilltown and its environs well, but this is something new. “It’s climate change,” I suggest point blank. “And this is only the beginning,” Milica joins me with a big grin. When I tell them that flies cannot be easily fooled by weather for they have been around for quite a while, both of them listen carefully. “Half a billion years,” I pronounce with some assurance. It takes me a while to realize that I am off by a quarter of a billion years, but what is that for the flies. The proverbial blink of an eye.