Sooner or later, the heat this summer has produced will get to all of us. Who cared about heat index in December? The phrase was not even in my vocabulary at Christmas. But, the past month or so has made the phrase a part of our daily conversations.
Although I grew up at the beach and find myself back here for a short stay, I have never been a huge fan of summer heat. My neighbor keeps reminding me that we have a good ocean breeze everyday. Well, if you like standing in front of a furnace blowing at maximum capacity you are in heaven. The truth is that I don’t like to sweat. This summer has been so hot that we cannot even call it perspiration. And, for all those pretty women in heels and summer suits, it is not called glistening either. We are sweating our way through summer.
I have to admit that the oppressive heat has taken the edge off my usually fairly good attitude. I have become about as stagnant as the air and about as listless as the kittens who have taken refuge in the shade of the front porch. There are three that have been brought to the porch by the mama cat. Perhaps, they moved closer to the bowl of water to save energy by not having to walk as far to get a drink. Most of the day they rest. So do I. In fact, we have come to call the little family vampire cats, but lovingly so.
My husband insists that we can learn a lot from our furry friends. They sleep all day and play all night. He first noticed that the little ones, who are the siblings of the one who tricked us into taking him inside, spend the days resting only to become active when the clock strikes midnight. Well, that is one of the good things about being a senior citizen without a job. We can take refuge during the daylight hours and come alive after the sun has set.
Okay, so I am complaining. Heat does that to us. But, as I think back over the years, when there were summer riots and such, I am lost trying to understand it — and amazed. How did anyone have the energy to riot in the streets when the heat was so oppressive? Admittedly, I will complain about the heat and I have noticed that when I do have to go out during the middle of the day my attitude becomes less than charming. But, I certainly do not have enough energy to throw a brick through a window — not that I would do that even if I had enough energy to do so.
Well, my days have been filled with drinking lemonade to stay hydrated, although I am going back to water. The acid from too much lemonade is playing hell with my stomach. I have to admit that the feeling of an iced beverage slipping down my throat is thrilling. Perhaps, we have all been so hot that we can actually trace the path of the drink to our stomachs before it warms to body temperature. Oh, what the heck!
I have pulled out pictures of last winter’s snow fall, hoping they will have a cooling effect. And, instead of complaining all day I am trying to remind myself of the beauty of last winter and hoping for a few snow flakes early next year. I will probably appreciate them more. My dad always told me that if it were not for rain we would find no rainbows. So, I’m hoping that memories of this heat will help me appreciate winter. With that in mind, I am thankful for the heat this summer. Winter is sure to be fabulous.
