Saturday, August 14, 2021

Not So Bad

 Today's Seattle Times headline.

It was bad enough, but it could have been worse. 

This latest heat wave has given us two days of 95 degree heat and, wouldn't you know, the smoke from the eastern Washington, Oregon and California fires finally reached the Washington coast at the same time. Fortunately the heat is already moderating, predicted to be in the upper 80's today, and the smoke is thinner.

We haven't done much the last two days and lack of activity was getting to me so I promised myself that if it was cooler and less smoky this morning I would get up and walk. It was and I did. I even got Tom to go with me. At 7:00 it was 63 degrees. Wonderful! The night before the low in the early morning was 70, unheard of for us who enjoy natural ocean air conditioning.  Fortunately neither of us has breathing problems, so we are able to open our windows at night and use box fans upstairs, where our home air conditioning isn't very effective. 

When we returned home Charlie/Mewdini met us in the back yard. We hadn't seen him for a couple of days and he was very needy for my attention. I sat down at the patio table to cool down from my walk and give our borrowed kitty some loving. 


At 10:30 it is still only 67 here in the shade of our trees and it feels good to have the house opened up and coolness coming in through the windows. 

I did get out yesterday after we got home from breakfast long enough to pick a new bouquet for the kitchen table. Zinnias and marigolds are so bright and pretty and long lasting. 

Camille, a fellow gardener who we have met through the Northwest Perennial Alliance, is recruiting gardens for next year's big plant study weekend and contacted us to see if we would offer our garden. We were flattered, but declined, based on my mobility issues and the stress it might cause to have to have the garden in tip top shape next June when we aren't sure what the next year will bring. 

Camille did send along a photo she took of us in a Tacoma garden where we encountered each other, as we often do, during NPA Open Gardens. It was May, everything was fresh and beautiful, and it was cool enough to be wearing a fleece vest. It sounds lovely in the dog days of August.


We are well and doing fine. The worst of the heat is over and I'm sure the smoke will be an on and off condition depending on wind directions and ocean air currents. We are fortunate.

As for that third menace mentioned in the headlines, we can't do much about the spread of Covid among the unvaccinated. We can only control our own behavior and try to stay safe and not become unaware spreaders. 

12 comments:

  1. It took me quite a while to get used to being more relaxed and now I feel the need to put my guard up again. I have kept on wearing my mask in doors but had I had a reminder yesterday that I really need to be more careful and mask up when I see my elderly neighbor who is suddenly in poor health. I was giving her her mail (outdoors, but closer than 6 ft I'm sure) when her daughter arrived and was not happy that neither of us had on a mask.

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  2. Sorry that you not only had heat but smoke. One two punch. We have had some smoke for a week or so and really hot days. Today was almost sweater weather--mid 80's:) Probably smart to turn down the study. It is hard to know what tomorrow will bring.
    Loved the picture of you and Charlie. Minnie does that same thing with her head in my hand. She loves it.

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  3. Good that you could go for a walk and that it's cool in the morning.

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  4. Beautiful bouquet of zinnias and marigolds. Neither of which I had any luck growing this year but next year will be different. That's what we gardeners say, right? Nice picture of the two of you. Tom's shirt goes very well with the cushions on the bench.

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  5. Lovely bouquet! We're back in the heat but thankfully it will be short-lived and the more normal August temps will be here. It's been quite the summer with the heat and the smoke.

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  6. We just keep hoping that the heat is over but its 107 degrees tomorrow. More fires and smoke makes it unpleasant-hopefully fall will come...

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  7. I was wishing for snow earlier today...it was very warm here. Thankfully our Central Air keeps the house wonderfully cool:) Too bad you cannot be in the big weekend next summer...that would be fun but I do understand the extra work. You guys are looking good! Stay cool:)

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  8. It is hot and humid here in Hawaii, and there are wildfires in central Oahu. Probably arson. But, I do the bulk of my outdoor work in the early morning and then stay indoors with the a/c on. That is a lovely photo of you and Tom. I like your hair style.

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  9. The wildfire smoke has (so far) been better, but the heat has been brutal. I hope we've seen the end of it! I too can only keep myself as safe as possible. Even as a vaccinated person, I'm pulling back on most of my indoor outings and wearing my best masks in public.

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  10. I like that picture of the two of you, and I too am glad our heat and smoke was short lived. I can manage if it doesn't get any worse! :-)

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  11. I agree that you and Tom look fabulous! I'm glad the heat is easing and hope the smoke doesn't come back. COVID (Delta) is running amok here in Hawaii. My nephew is an ER nurse and they are seeing positive cases that are asymptomatic. We're back where we started.

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  12. I imagine heat and smoke are not good conditions for a nice summer. Here, we had one week heat and the rest of summer was rain and cold à sort of Autumn ! After a nice sunny weekend rain has come back, but good for nature!
    We are having a 4th wave of Covid here . Especially in holidays places and it will be worse at the end of the month when everybody comes home and children go to school!

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