From NOAA: Today: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Heat index values as high as 105 [emphasis mine]. South wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.I try going without the air-conditioner for as long as I can during Summer. Spouse is more uncomfortable with high temperatures, so had the A/C on over the weekend. I could not muster the will to turn it off after he left on Monday. I try to justify the A/C usage by keeping the thermometer at 81°F, but still feel like I've wimped out. @virgotex - who lives just down the road (hey, we gotta do coffee sometime) - is still managing to do without. She has my slack-jawed admiration.
We're taking care of the animals as best we can. There's kiddie pools and tubs full of water in the pen and under the shady oaks on the other side of the house. Also under the shady oaks are two misting hoses to bring the temps down a bit more. Dogs, chickens and geese unite in their desire to stay cool, and all hang out together under the shade.
Okay, Mom Nature, we get it - it's Summertime, and it's HOT!
[pic: Maggie getting her cool on, all 80-some pounds of her. Bandit now weighs slightly over 100 pounds. Thems some big dawgs right there!]
Got the kiddie pool set up but I hadn't thought about up a misting hose for the dogs. Good idea. I've got one hanging in the garage and not using it.
ReplyDeleteI carry around a little hand held plant mister for me but the dogs think they're being punished if I point it at them because I've used squirt bottles for discipline on them as pups.
The cats of course love the heat. Cats are weird.
I feel your pain. It is 91 here right now with about 100% humidity. Not a great day for raking up brome grass and mulching the garden, but somebody's got to do it.
ReplyDeleteTurned on the sprinkler for the dogs while I was doing my thing -- they'd rather have the hose to play with and found a tree to lay under instead.
Whatever works. :)
I gave up a long time ago. Then again, I'm a bit further south. And I've got a toddler who overheats quickly.
ReplyDeleteStill, I swear that I can feel the heat burning through the walls. SWEAR it. In fact, I like to walk around swearing under my breath much of the day about it. Then the evening breeze picks up and there's magic to be had on my back patio.
The cat? She lives for this weather. LIVES for it.