August Usually Gets Hotter...

...and I'm not looking forward to that trend.
   Maybe, instead of this being the month where Mother Nature turns up the heat, she'll decide to cool things down a bit.  From the temperature right now though (it's 110 as I write this), I think we're in for another hot and dry month.
   Soon enough, however, Autumn will arrive and things will cool down a bit.  As with most things, we just have to be patient.

What a Tease!

   Isn't it annoying when you look up and see a vision of loveliness, wordlessly promising something you are longing for, and then it turns out to be just a tease?

   Lately this has happened to me.  I would go out at lunchtime, just to stretch my legs and to get some fresh air, despite the heat (it seems to hit 100 by noon most of the time lately).  I'd look up into the sky and see lovely clouds, drifting about, holding cool moisture that we need so bad.  And some of them would drift in front of the sun, cooling things down ever so slightly before drifting on and leave me wanting more.

Clouds that tease!

Not many visitors in this heat, but at least it's shady

Above the blue bench, this tree provides welcome shade from the sun

   I'll put up with it, though.  This is what we get right now and there is nothing I can do to change it.
   But still, it would be nice if those teaser clouds would stay around a bit longer.

Bees Don't Play Croquet Nicely

   When I was a kid, we would set up our croquet set in the back yard during the summer and while away the time playing croquet.  The problem back then was when the clover flowers blossomed the honeybees came to visit.
   Usually, we were careful.  After a bee sting on the bottom of the foot one summer, it became common practice to wear flip-flops (until a bee sting on the side of the foot) and then sneakers.  Once, though, I guess I must have thought that bees only go after feet.  Either that, or I was just plain cocky because I knew I wouldn't get stung again.
   I'd watched a golf tournament recently, and decided I'd line up my shot like a golfer.  I got down into a crouch and then leaned over to the side, trying to eyeball the perfect shot.  I put my hand down to steady myself and - ZING!
   Bees sting hands, too.  And they don't share the croquet field very nicely.

Tar Bubbles

   The heat this summer reminded me of hot summer days when I was a kid.  After breakfast, we were sent outside and couldn't come back in until lunchtime.  We'd ride our bikes around our block, neighboring blocks, and sometimes several blocks away into the unknown - neighborhoods where the dogs didn't know us and would chase us as we rode past at breakneck speed.
   Then we'd head back to our neighborhood and find other things to do, maybe having water pistol fights, running through neighbors' sprinklers, and getting chased out of the yards of the older people, scattering in different directions.  Sometimes we'd play catch - something I could do all day long, given the chance.
   But on really hot days, we'd pop the bubbles in the tar in the street.  On our street, we didn't really have potholes, because cracks got filled with tar before they got larger and became holes.  And on warm days, the tar would soften, then bubbles would form as it got hotter.  We'd pop the bubbles with our toes.  And sometimes, if the tar was fresh, I remember getting a little of it, working it in my fingers to get little bits of grit out, and then chewing on it.
   Bad idea?  Probably.  But it was something to do on a hot summer day.

Just When I Thought it Couldn't Get Any Hotter...

   Hot, hot, hot!  I don't recall July being this hot this early.  I know we've had some hot summers (the hottest officially was in 1936 - well before I was born), but jeepers!  The first picture below is from when we had some clouds for a little bit today.  The bottom picture is from half an hour later, when the sun was back out.  Good thing the wind was blowing, so it didn't feel unbearable when sitting still.

   I don't know what the official high temperature will be for today here in Stillwater, but at my house it was just too darn hot.

It's Hot so We Built an Air Conditioner

   With several days of 100+ temperatures so far, and with summer usually getting hotter in July and August, getting into the car to go somewhere is uncomfortable for the first several minutes until the air conditioner cools things down to something resembling a bearable temperature.  Today, we created an air conditioner out of a Styrofoam cooler, a battery-powered fan, and frozen ice packs.
   I had read about this here: Lifehacker AC DIY and decided it was time to give it a shot.  We already had some Styrofoam coolers around the house because we've had things shipped to us that needed to stay cold, which solved the problem of finding a suitable container.  Also, we have the reusable ice packs that came with the coolers, although for test purposes we used frozen peas.  I'm the only one who likes peas, and the main reason we keep frozen peas on hand is because they make nice moldable ice packs for injuries (I have kids, plus I'm a guy - injuries are pretty much unavoidable).  We have some plug-in-to-wall fans, too, but I wanted this to be portable, so I bought a battery-powered fan and some batteries.
   So for less than $15, I was ready to create.  With my trusty pocket knife, and humming the theme song to "MacGyver," I cut a hole in the lid of the ice chest just big enough for the front of the fan to fit in, facing downward (i.e., inside).  Another hole in the side of the chest, towards the top, provided the outlet.
   I pulled two packets of frozen peas out of the freezer, set them in the bottom of the chest, put the lid on, sat the fan on top and switched the fan on to blow down onto the peas.  The resulting cold air bounced back up and came out the outlet hole.  Success!
   I have a plastic bottle of water in the freezer now, in addition to the reusable ice packs, so we'll have plenty of frozen things to use when we need to cool down the interior of the car a bit in the sweltering summer sun.

Have a Wonderful Independence Day Weekend!

  This weekend looks like it will be hotter than a firecracker in these parts.  We've had some hot summers before, but I don't remember when it has been this hot this soon and for so many days.  I hope you find a place to stay cool.  And if you are out and about and it's hot wherever you are, please remember to drink plenty of water.  Even if I don't know you personally, you are important to me.  Why?  Because you cared enough to read this, for which I thank you.
Stay safe!  

Even on a Hot Day...

...I managed to find something to photograph. 

  
   I like the picture of the track because it reminded me of those days long ago when running was a big part of my life.  It took a lot of practice to get good, because I am not a gifted athlete.  Long before I ever tried my hand at track, and later cross country, I spent many hours running, often by myself, just to build up stamina and speed.

   For the flowers, I was goofing with my macro setting.  It was pretty windy, but I think this picture turned out just fine. 
   I love my little camera.  Someday when I have one with more bells and whistles, I'll still have this one because it's awesome for its size.