Apologies again to any readers that might be interested in my column. I am still working on that academic text on overmodelled skulls - writing until 3 or 4am each morning - and it does not leave much time for other writing. I should be finished by Monday, and then things will get back to normal.

The three days of rain and cold weather here at the beginning of the week surprised many people, but not the older peasant inhabitants of the island. It had not actually rained like that here on Eivissa/Ibiza for 20 years. It will make the island safer this summer - from forest fires, that is, which are a much-feared but relatively recent normal summer hazard. Recent studies in southern Spain indicate that only 3% of forest fires are begun by natural causes, so be wary if you are a tourist here in August: don't throw your lighted cigarette out your car window into the grass by the side of the road.

The weather here since November last year, combined with the recent rains, make things look as if (at least temporarily) they might be getting back a little bit to what it used to be like here before. An old shepherd near my house told me two days ago that this last six months or so has been a bit more like it was when he was young, over 70 years ago. There is a lot of catching up to do, though. Another old peasant from near San Mateo told me that maybe the water rituals they did last year really paid off (see my previous articles in six weekly series about water in Weekly Editions 026 Saturday 18^th August, 027 Saturday 25^th August, 028 Saturday 1^st September, 029 Saturday 15^th September and 030 Saturday 22^nd September 2001)!

But if this sort of weather keeps up, people in England may find people from Eivissa coming over there to holiday (we hear the weather has been superb in England recently)!

Until next week, then.