Latest news with #PineTrees
GMA Network
08-07-2025
- Climate
- GMA Network
EXPLAINER: What is the 'Mistral' wind fanning the Marseille wildfire?
PARIS — A wildfire threatening the outskirts of Marseille, France's second most populous city, was being fanned on Tuesday by a "Mistral" wind with gusts reaching 70 kph (43 mph). Firefighters said the blaze had, when at its most ferocious, advanced by more than 1 km per minute but was now contained. However, with weather forecasts showing the Mistral set to blow through the evening and part of the night, there remained a risk the front line could once again advance. What is the mistral wind? The Mistral is a strong, cold and dry wind that blows from the north or northwest through the Rhone Valley in southern France towards the Mediterranean Sea. It is a wind shaped by the geography of the area, particularly the funnel-like Rhone Valley, which accelerates the wind as it moves southward. The name Mistral comes from the word "mistrau" in the local Occitan dialect, meaning "masterly". The wind is known for blowing clear, dry air in bright blue skies. It has a significant impact on agriculture, architecture and daily life in Provence and surrounding areas. When does the mistral wind blow? The Mistral can occur at any time of year, but it is most frequent in the winter and spring months. It forms when a high-pressure system over the Atlantic or northern France meets a low-pressure system over the western Mediterranean. This pressure difference drives air southwards, which intensifies as it passes through the Rhone Valley. The wind can last from a few hours to several days, and sometimes longer. How powerful is the mistral windi? The Mistral is one of Europe's most powerful regional winds. It often reaches 50 to 90 kph, but gusts can exceed 100 kph, particularly near the coast, and it has been recorded at over 120 kph. It can damage crops, fell trees and affect roads and air traffic. It can also whip up the seas and be hazardous for sailors. Despite its challenges, the Mistral also brings benefits: it dries the vineyards and olive groves that are abundant in southern France, reducing fungal diseases. Artist Vincent van Gogh captured the region's distinctive weather and light in some of his paintings, including Pine Trees against a Red Sky with Setting Sun.—Reuters
New York Times
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
10 Gifts That Scream Summer Camp Nostalgia
In this edition of The Gift, we've found some gifts that channel cool, retro-summer camp vibes. Plus: a super-light camping chair we love and some throwback soccer shorts. I didn't go to traditional sleepaway camp as a kid. My dad was a professor at a local university and had summers off to hang. He was also fixated on me becoming a pro women's basketball player — about 25 years too early — so the only camp he'd pony up for was a weeklong basketball intensive. There were no s'mores, no archery, no bonfires. Just defensive drills, one-on-ones, and plenty of footfires. All of which partially explains why I have such imagined nostalgia for real summer camp. Label my clothes! Assign me a cabin! And please, please teach me to make a lanyard. I think a lot of us carry this fantasy for an imagined summer escape. Some of it, no doubt, comes from culture, too. Blame it on Meatballs, Salute Your Shorts, or The Parent Trap, but every year as Memorial Day passes, I find myself lusting after pine trees, cabin stays, singalongs, and lakeside lounging. And adding a few finds to my life that have a certain vintage summer vibe to them tends to scratch this itch. It makes me feel a bit like I'm the main character in an idyllic, camp-y movie — with plenty of warm months ahead of me to enjoy. So it's with confidence that I say no matter where you're traveling or staying this summer, infusing a little camp vibes into your gifting — for others or yourself — will be much appreciated. A few ideas: A few years back I got a Hometown Apparel sweatshirt screenprinted with the name of a beloved local lake. It's now my summer uniform. If you're visiting someone at a cottage or cabin, a hoodie with the name of the town would make a thoughtful, cozy houseguest gift. (You can find any town on the site. Prove me wrong!) These extremely cozy modern striped tube socks also have that '70s camp uniform feel. A great group gift for a friend trip. You needn't be sipping powdered lemonade in the mess hall to appreciate this classic enamelware pitcher. If I really get my act together, I'll bring one with flowers in it when I visit a friend in his Hamptons' rental this summer. I'm also smitten with these splatterware tumblers, which could work as vessels for juleps or spritzers (and toothbrushes in the off season). No summer camp would be complete without nature walks and arts and crafts. During the pandemic lockdowns, I gave a friend one of these grown-up tie-dye kits, which comes with a shibori tutorial and all the fixings, (a silk handkerchief, plant-based dye). Meanwhile, kids might have a lot of fun with these animal print stamps, while their grown-ups enjoy these pocket-sized nature study guides. The guides are less than $10 apiece and would be great on the coffee table of any summer retreat. (The scat finder one is a real crowdpleaser.) As for letters home, shouldn't we all have a set of these Sakura Cray-Pas Japanese pastels and a pad of postcards? Store-bought postcards are nice, but homemade ones are even better, and those smudgy oil pastels make it easy to succeed with more abstract interpretations of one's surroundings. Both gifts take up next-to-zero room in an overnight bag — er, trunk. I'll leave you with this fancy s'mores kit courtesy of Recchiuti, makers of one of our favorite boxed chocolates. The shipping charges almost double the cost, but that one singular bite of melty, marshmallow-y goodness — under the stars or over your stove's pilot light — will be a slam dunk.
