In Europe the incomprehensible "phoney war" had broken out. [The two sides just faced one another, with soldiers doing nothing but make furtive gestures at each other. Superficially it seemed as if the volcano was blocked with congealed lava; but there were warning underground tremors.]
 But I did not notice anything; I went on working enthusiastically, and the results began to show.
[I developed new crop varieties more suited to the local climate and sent selected seeds to the Department of National Economy - the "Camera Agricola"; in return they provided me with a ploughing tractor. At the same time the stock-breeding section of the farm was also well on track.]