Heat Wave

I know all anyone can talk about is the heat wave, but I couldn't help joining in the symphony of commentary.  I've lost track of when the heat actually started, but what I can say is that I think we're all due for a little break.  Mother Nature obviously disagrees, and I think She is a bit more powerful in opinion.

I am a total wimp when it comes to summer heat.  My body was much better built for colder-than-normal temperatures, so while some become hermits in wintertime, I become a hermit during these really hot times.  I'm like those Jesus bugs that skate their way across a water's surface, dashing from one air conditioned space to another.  And, most likely, between those spots, I'll find just enough time to re-declare that it's really hot.  I like to remind all of the obvious.

When I was a writing tutor in college, one of the annual flocks of students came as a requirement when they wrote their lab reports for their cricket experiments.  This weather makes me think of those experiments because, basically, what was demonstrated was how cricket activity slowed down as a decrease in temperature was administered.  I feel like one of those crickets, except my slowed behavior comes with increased temperatures.  I take Tucker out in the front yard for his regular bathroom outings, and we both take two to three times as long to climb the modest hill and retreat back into the cool house.

Because I always love to infuse even the least desirable situations with a little cheer, I will say that the heat does make for some pretty incredible dawn hour scenery.  Our first trip outdoors usually comes around 5:45am, and at that hour, the surrounding hills are giving back to the skies, releasing big puffs of fog.  As the fog and quiet linger, the birds and other wildlife seem grateful for the small break from the extreme temperatures.