Accessibility of key domain information

In introducing CF concepts I find I want to introduce three separate ideas (see [attached lecture excerpt])(https://github.com/NCAS-CMS/cf-python/files/15261595/lecture05-cfconcepts.pdf)

• We are generally dealing with an field with a range of property values distributed across the domain of a sampling feature.
• Each of those property values is representative of the distribution of that property within or across a cell which needs to be defined by bounds.
• We use cell methods to tell us about that distribution (e.g it can be a mean over the area of the cell). cell measures tell us about the cell itself.

While I understand this stuff to some extent, I find it difficult to use the CF-Python machinery to expose their application in actual data files. In particular, e.g. for the "statistics over axes and areas", what's the most elegant method of extracting that information for a given field, domain, and set of coordinate axes? Currently I can get it in the print statement on a field, but I can't extract it in it's own right.

E.g. for this field:

Field: air_temperature (ncvar%tas)
----------------------------------
Data            : air_temperature(time(1980), latitude(143), longitude(144)) K
Cell methods    : area: time(1980): mean
Dimension coords: time(1980) = [1850-01-16 12:00:00, ..., 2014-12-16 12:00:00] gregorian
                : latitude(143) = [-90.0, ..., 90.0] degrees_north
                : longitude(144) = [0.0, ..., 357.5] degrees_east
                : height(1) = [2.0] m
Cell measures   : measure:area (external variable: ncvar%areacella)

Is there an elegant way of extracting
air_temperature: cell_methods='area: time : mean' ?

in some method like f.cell_methods4humans()?

Start from the Field representation shown in the issue and inspect how cell methods, cell measures, domains, and coordinate axes are exposed. Determine an appropriate public entry point for retrieving the statistics information independently of print output. Done means a field, domain, and selected axes can return the relevant cell-method information in a usable form, with behavior covered by tests.