I'm not a fan of hot weather. Daytime highs in the 70-75˚F range are fine—but anything above 80˚F is beyond my comfort level. And it doesn't matter whether it's a "dry" heat or accompanied by a humidity level one notch shy of rain.
Hot is hot, and I flat don't like it!
The past couple of weeks have been a sweltering, searing ordeal. Typical for southwestern-Ohio this time of year. The dreaded Dog Days. And to us boreal-natured types, pure torture.
Day after day, unrelenting highs of 90˚F, give or take a degree. Soaring humidity. No breeze. Like being locked in a perpetual sauna.
My energy and enthusiasm have been completely zapped. Work on various projects has suffered. This means I not only feel miserable, but guilty about not getting things done as quickly as I'd planned.
Summer has always been my least favorite of the four seasons. Though I'll admit I'm pretty good during the first half—until the heat cranks up and begins taking its toll. While there's admittedly plenty of outdoorsy stuff to enjoy, lots to do and see, plus all that tasty fresh produce straight from the garden…the overall discomfort of the unrelenting oven-like weather—muggy, searing, to the point where I feel like a pork shoulder roasting over a charcoal grill—cancels out most of the pleasure.
Guess I'd rather shiver than sweat!
_______
12 comments:
100% concurrence from me, Grizz! The heat just enervates me. During our bout of the heat wave you're describing, a man and his young son were running in my preserve in temperatures that I wouldn't even consider running in. They came back the next day when it was slightly cooler, and I said to man, "It sure is nicer today than when I saw you yesterday." He replied, "I love it hot. The hotter the better!" Our heat wave broke for three days this week--Tuesday through Thursday--when temperatures got into the mid-80s, nighttime got into the mid-60s, and humidity was low. I actually pulled a light blanket over me on Tuesday evening while I was sleeping; we had three heavenly low-humidity, low-temp (mid-60s at night), throw-open-all-the-windows nights. Alas, they're coming to an end, though, with the return of humidity today and low 90s tomorrow.
Your weather sounds horrid. Nice photos though.
I'm with you on the heat intolerance. My outdoor projects are on hold as well. Early mornings and evenings are my outdoor summer hours until the weather cools. The autumn is my favourite season. Won't be long now (sigh).
Hi Grizz - I am so with you n this heat I am NOT a fan. It has been dreadful here as well, reaching 90 degrees and suffocating humidity. Today is a bit better, a breeze, lower humidity, and low 80's. Same for tomorrow and then it will climb again next week. Ugh....... Skipp plans to mow the front lawn today and do some yard work - I will sit under my small umbrella and sip my icy seltzer and cheer him on, perhaps saying "you missed a spot" hahaha,hee he,ha haha :-) Life is calm, we are both ok, hopeful and at peace. Amen
Love to you - have a lovely weekend
Gail peace.....
Scott…
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who's not happy with the heat…not that I wish you to be miserable. But so many folks I know, including Myladylove, think I'm awful when I complain about the hot weather. So far as she's concerned, the hotter the better! I counter by accusing her of being part lizard—and the truth is, there's not much she'd rather do than spend a day stretched out in the sun. Me…I'm good for maybe 15 minutes, then I get hot, bored, thirsty, bored, really hot, and really bored. At which point I move to the shade, go wade the creek, fiddle with photos, etc. And Myladylove quarrels at me semi-good-naturedly for the next several hours because I won't keep her company. "I am a moose, not a manatee," I say, which earns me a derisive snort.
We don't have air conditioning, just a big whole-house fan that pulls lots of air through whatever window you open. With our cottage being situated on the river, fairly shaded and having 17-inch thick stone walls, it generally stays surprising cool. Mid-70s˚F most of the day. The night air being sucked through the bedroom window screen is great! We've had several nights where a sheet and light blanket were both needed, following a 90˚F or higher day. But along about 4:30 in the afternoon, as the westering sun starts to beam directly through the 14 foot high, 30 feet wide wall of windows across the river side of the great room, the house starts to heat up fast—and any air I'm pulling in is, of course, hot, not much help. There's thus about a three or four hour period when it's around 80˚F inside. I could stick a window air conditioner in, but neither of us likes air conditioning, and I'm in and out all the time, so it would just double or triple our monthly power consumption and likely do little in the way of upping our comfort level.
Alas, as you noted, this heatwave is set continue for at least another week…so no relief in sight! We'll just have to sweat and bear it. (Or bare it!)
Penny…
Yeah, pretty uncomfortable, to me anyway. Glad you liked the pix. Thank you.
Out To Pasture…
I've been working mornings, too, breaking for lunch around 1:00 p.m., then trying to give it another hour or two later…which often as not, doesn't amount to much, and at least half the time doesn't happen. A big half day—the first half—is about the best I can do. By the time I cook supper and feed us, though there's still plenty of daylight left, there's not much of me remaining. We may sit outside until it's good and dark, or come in and watch TV, but I'm ready to relax, vegetate, sip and snack and possibly snooze until bedtime.
I like spring best, then autumn, then winter…with summer the least. And you're right, heat or not, autumn's not far away.
Gail…
Glad you're feeling good and enjoying summer—heat and all! Myladylove is the lawn mower here; she loves to mow and gets hacked off when I do it. She mowed Thursday, on her day off—and did so smack in the middle of a 90˚F day! I told her she was crazy, and she sweated buckets. But apparently had a fine time. Go figure!
Anyway, just put a couple of roasting chickens (oiled, spiced, and properly prepped) on our new grill which we couldn't resist buying the other day. I'll make a dip and cut up tray of veggies—tomatoes, squash, cucumber, onions, bell peppers, a chili or two, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, celery. Fix a spicy satay sauce for the chicken. Ready a big pitcher of something cold and wet. And in about an hour, up comes the grill lid, down goes our butts onto the more comfortable seats of the new picnic table I built a couple of weeks back, and we'll partake of a fine and tasty riverside meal.
Hi again - I love that your gal mows the lawn. And your meal with all the veggies and grilled chicken sounds so delicious. I hope it was all wonderful for you and your LadyLove :-) Today is macaroni day - always had macaroni and meatballs and Italian bread for scraping up any sauce left on our plates. We are getting ready to make the meatballs - my home made marinara sauce is ready to be simmered. And add a nice glass of red wine to our feast and we are in Heaven - the blessings are so abundant- my gratitude over flows - love is all around - nature in it's glory and truth - I want for nothing more - and when I read of how you and your lady-love spend your days I am thrilled for you both because I know,that you, like me, take nothing for granted and we are kind and giving and humbled by life's offerings, simple pleasures and all that surrounds us. Amen
Love to you my friend, Happy Sunday
Gail
peace.....
Gail…
Hey, don't tell anybody, but I'm glad Myladylove mows the lawn!
Your "macaroni day" sounded deliciously delightful. Our grilled chickens turned out excellent, BTW.
Yesterday, we left just after 9:00 a.m. to go to church—which runs until 11:00. Had lunch at a great little family style restaurant in a nearby small town. Then drove to another not quite as small a town over by the Indiana line and picked up some stuff at their WalMart. Decided we'd check another Walmart in a more distant town a half hour to the north. (In both cases, this was more about the drive than the need to go shopping. There are three or for Walmarts within fifteen minutes of the cottage, plus several more not much father away. And all we really needed was shampoo and maybe a t-shirt or two.) On the way we stopped at a number of garage sales. Temp, almost 90˚F; wilted ourselves noticeably ambling around under the hot sun; found nothing worth buying. Finished our drive and did the second Walmart. Energy and enthusiasm soon lagged. We left, stopped by McDonald's for a couple of Cokes, drove the 40 miles home, changed into comfortable clothes, and collapsed onto the backyard chaise longues for the remained of the day…which wasn't all that long, seeing as how it was by then 4:30! Seven plus hours! Wore ourselves to a frazzle! Had fun!
i again - what a great day!! I started counting all the blessings but lost track over 100 or so - wow, right?
Love Gail
peace.....
Gail…
I don't think any of us, if we're really honest, can ever say our woes outnumber our blessings. That's certainly the case for me, anyway. Life has ups and downs, hills and valleys. But on the whole, the good outweighs the bad, and a new day is always worth getting up for and appreciating. And I think you, as much as anyone I know, believe and practice and in your heart-of-hearts understands this simple truth. There's bad and there's good…but we're truly blessed.
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