We honestly thought we had cooler weather moving in. Last week we even had a nighttime low of 40F, which felt delightful. But then the mercury reversed and we've been searing once more. I loathe hot weather -- I'm at a loss to understand why people voluntarily live where it's always hot -- and can't wait until more moderate temps offer relief.
Sorry if I sound testy, but we're at the tail end of an unusually long, hot, dry summer and at this point I can't wait for winter. Or at least, fall. Without air conditioning (who needs air conditioning in north Idaho, right?), we're subject to all the sticky skin and soaked clothes that come with near 100F temps.
They say we're in for a storm tomorrow, but frankly I'll believe it when I see it. Rain clouds have dodged around us for the past week, and for some reason our little dot on the map is just where clouds traditionally part and bypass around us. We've seen it over and over and over and over...
Lydia, with four inches of fur, has been routinely planting herself in front of the fan for some relief.
Wasps, desperate for moisture, have been chewing at the windfall pears.
The chickens stand around wherever they can find shade, panting, wings up to cool their bodies.
These are some of our Jersey Giant chicks. They just turned two months old and are quite large already. They're in their awkward gangly teenage stage -- we call it the velociraptor phase, since they run round in packs with their necks stretched out, just like the velociraptors in the movie Jurassic Park -- and despite the heat and despite panting, they still insist on sleeping together like puppies.
But enough complaining. Honestly, it's just a couple more days and then the temperatures will ease off. Meanwhile, Don and Younger Daughter are at the Elks in a nearby town, helping serve dinner to the firefighters who are working so valiantly in this horrible heat to save our forests. These brave men and women deserve our highest praise and thanks.
So I won't gripe anymore, I promise.
UPDATE: Ask and ye shall receive! Five minutes after I finished this petulant little temper tantrum -- before I had a chance to even post it -- it started raining! First rain we've seen in weeks!
What glorious refreshment!
God is good. Plus He has a sense of humor.
It didn't last long but wow, was it nice. Thanks, Big Guy. We appreciate it.
We are in better shape then you - moisture-wise, but I sure know the "clouds part and go around" your little piece of the world...because they do it to us too! Our yard (lawn - sort of) has been crunchy for three weeks, but there have been a couple of flash flood warnings in that same time period only 20 - 40 miles south of us.....May blessings and moisture come your way....Natokadn
ReplyDeleteOur weather is hovering around 90 everyday, which is against some law in Northern Minnesota. We've had some rain, and the humidity is awful. But...the gardens are growing gangbusters and the cattle seem to have adapted much better than I have. Our weather should break on Sunday or Monday. Not wanting fall to come too quickly. We still have hay to put up.
ReplyDeleteI'm in Southeast Texas where Temps have been around 107 for days.....heat index around 116....and no rain since early June. To say I despise living here is a gross understatement. Granted I couldn't and wouldn't want to handle the winters of North Idaho. There has to be a happy medium somewhere. I keep telling my husband one day soon we should get outta here and go someplace without so much heat and humidity but it's hard to pick up and go. We have 180 acres we live on and everything is paid for. One day though......one day......
ReplyDeleteCalled hubby excitedly when I read your post! He said we got thunder and lightening but no moisture.
ReplyDeleteStill. God is great and His Mercy endures forever.
Sidetracksusie
Here in Texas it has been triple digits for quite a few days. Our Pyrenees, Tok, is doing the same thing as Lydia. She does seem to be able to find her coolest place to lay. Donna in Texas
ReplyDeleteWe will pray for those in the fires' harm way and the firefighters.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the picture of the beautiful puddle. We had forgotten what they look like.
Montana Guy
Lydia got my spot.
ReplyDeleteHuggs..
LOL.
DeleteJust Me
Here in Florida, my family and I hibernate during the summer, waiting for what passes for fall and winter. We've been seeing signs of fall already, though (goldenrod, dog fennels, browning sycamore leaves) so maybe we will have an early cool-down. Camping season, here we come!
ReplyDeleteYep. I'm in NE Florida, and the fall bugs and weeds are out already. Fall allergies are kickin' in. I have a feeling that summer will depart as abruptly as it arrived this year.
DeleteWhen we lived in Arizona we never had air conditioning in our trailer, we invented what we called poor mans air conditioner, we got our clothes wet and parked ourselves under a fan, not to mention drank lots and lots of water. Now that we have moved to Oregon the heat doesn't seem quite as bad. We will keep you and the firefighters in prayer, we also are experiencing bad fires here, the fire is now about 5-8 miles from the town we live in and we are getting close to needing to evacuate, please keep us in your prayers, and please, please send the rain this way!!!!
ReplyDeleteGlad you got a little water......soon we will be putting wood in the stove......y'all take care out there..........Smokey
ReplyDeleteThe roadsides here are still green, IN AUGUST, unheard of most years. We have gotten some good rain about every other week, so I feel for everyone else. As for signs of fall, we had lightning bugs/fireflies beginning the end of June, and we hardly ever see them until Aug., and our cicadas were nearly 6 weeks earlier than normal. It 'feels' like fall, and that is unusual too for this time of year. Prayers for those in harms way, two legged and four legged.
ReplyDeleteWhen I start hearing the cicadas, I know it's time to start thinking about winter. Even if it's 90 degrees.
DeleteJust Me
I've often wondered, if our bodies maintain a temperature of 98.6 degrees, why is an air temperature of 98.6 degrees so uncomfortable? Aren't our bodies already that temperature?
ReplyDeleteI can't deal with the heat either. What a refreshing break to get a lick and a promise from above - a brief rainfall.
Just Me
Here in the South we've had a hotter, muggier summer. Even for us. An old wives tale was always that a colder than average winter follows a hotter than usual summer. Well, I'm 70 years old and over the years it's I've come to the conclusion that the old wives were right. We can look forward to a nasty winter. In the coming months, while shivering, I'm going to miss summer.
ReplyDeleteHuggs..
Government issued a 'Red Alert'. They should know. Government IS a 'Red Alert'.
ReplyDeleteMontana Guy
I thought our sumacs turned brown early, but everthing else is still green. We have had timely rains Why don't you have Lydia shaved? Or is it too late? Best wishes, always.
ReplyDeleteHere in the Phoenix area we have had 117 degrees one day this week and almost as bad on the others. Our dogs lay on the tile floor under the air conditioning vent. Thank goodness for retirement - I don't have to go anywhere!
ReplyDelete