Here's a crepe myrtle blossom, keeping the faith--not much else in bloom these days, except for the stubborn portulacas, which just keep on keeping on, heat be damned. Today: #59 in the countdown of 100+ degree days, on track to break the record of 69 days set back in 1923. The difference between 1923 and 2009: the drought. It rained in 1923, so it was hot and damp. This year, it's hot and dry.
Here's a note from Bob Rose's blog. Bob is the meteorologist for the Lower Colorado River Authority, which is keeping an eye on the water in the Highland Lakes, all dangerously low. I was interested in his comment, because I hadn't thought of the heat from this angle.
But another reason this summer has been so oppressive for humans, pets and vegetation has been the number of sunny days. We’ve had very few days with enough clouds to block out the hot sun. I looked back at the weather records beginning June 1st and found only 2 cloudy days in June, 4 days in July and just 1 day so far in August. So all of us have literally wilted in the hot sun. Of course it will take a lot more than clouds to break this drought, but they could at least help moderate the temperature.
He's right. We're all wilting under the constant sun. Another result of the heat: high electrical use. We're as frugal as possible with the AC and appliances and we have a small house, but our kWhs hit a record (for us) last month. And that's without my clothes dryer: I'm using a solar dryer now (called a clothesline).
Book report: Having more fun with the Darling Dahlias, primarily because of the 30s stuff. The time period just opens up so many possibilities--certainly makes the writing lively for me. I love learning new things. Today's rediscovery: roll-on garters. Thankfully, these were gone by the time I started wearing nylons (BP: before pantyhose), but I remember Mom wearing them. Ack. Wonder about the correlation between roll-on garters and varicose veins.
Don't forget the Cottage Tales Festival (see the post at the top of the page). Lots of chances to win a book, lots of fun stuff about Beatrix, the animals, the Lakes, and more.
Reading note. I think we are bound to, and by, nature. We may want to deny this connection and try to believe we control the external world, but every time there's a snowstorm or drought, we know our fate is tied to the world around us.--Alice Hoffman