How hot is it?

Let me count the ways.

Kathryn A. LeRoy

Jun 18, 2022

the sun and its rays against a blue sky with a pine tree trunk on the right and the lake with the sun's reflection at the bottom — The Sun © Kathryn LeRoy

Hello friends,

Summer came especially early this year for many of us living in the northern hemisphere. In my part of Texas, winter slides gently into spring, and spring hangs around long enough, almost to make us forget that summer can stretch well into October as we beg for mercy.

As I walked out to retrieve the mail, I could feel the intense heat and felt sympathy for the grass and plants, which seemed to scream for relief.

“Water, please, just a drop of water.”

The lake behind our house disappears a little more every day. I think the fish went into hiding, and I spotted a turtle crossing the road, hoping our neighbor’s small lake would make a better home.

My dad loved the weather. At least, he talked about it every-single-day. We heard rants about too wet, too dry, too cold, too much weather. That’s how I learned how to respond to the question, “How hot is it?”

Well, let me tell you.

It is so hot you can fry eggs on the sidewalk.

It’s hotter than an oven.

It’s hotter than blue blazes!

It’s like a steam bath out there.

It’s hotter than a firecracker lit at both ends.

Let’s just say that “in our neck of the woods,” June has exceeded triple digits (Fahrenheit) with no end in sight. Those temperatures usually come in late August, “the dog days of summer.”

Before I melt, I’m off to find an icy beverage and a good book.

How do you know how hot it is?

The weather and the news may raise your temperature, but sometimes, laughter really is the best medicine.

You don’t need to include the rum drinks (but you can) in Bacardi’s list of 100 things to do when it’s 100 degrees.

Spotify’s 100 greatest summer songs will bring back memories. My fav from The Lovin’ Spoonful “Summer in the City.”

“When all is said and done, the weather and love are the two elements about which one can never be sure.”
― Alice Hoffman

Find a little wonder this week like my friend, Stan. He captured these birds who knew exactly what to do in the summer heat. Go on…make a splash somewhere!

Male Northern Parula splashing in a pool of water around a rocky stream — Northern Parula-Male © Stanley D. Hall

Male Painted Bunting splashing in a rocky pool with its head down near the water and water beads captured in the air — Painted Bunting-Male © Stanley D. Hall

With gratitude,

Kathryn

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