Long hot summer

Looks like a heat wave to me

One of things I dislike the most about summertime is the relentless heat, with little relief overnight, when it gets this hot. This temperature forecast extends well into the coming week and beyond. There is only one small segment of the states that has a below-normal forecast: the Pacific Northwest. Right where I live!

As you might imagine, I am not at all unhappy with the fact that our summer has not really begun yet, and it looks like we might make it all the way through the month of July without getting really warm temperatures, as opposed to the rest of the country. Before we moved here, we lived in Colorado, which is right in the middle of all that heat. A massive heat dome looks like it will stick around for awhile. How do you cope, or do you like all that heat?

The National Weather Service is forecasting 75 or more record-high temperatures to be approached or broken from Friday to Tuesday alone, and that number is likely to grow significantly into next week. Early next week a few cities in the Plains states may even flirt with their all-time record highs. However, when all is said and done, the bigger story will likely be how long this heat wave lasts.

 And this is all occurring right in the middle of the surging pandemic of Covid-19, which is continuing to spread unchecked throughout the country. It makes for a really scary scenario, and it's not easy for me to imagine what it would be like to be unable to safely leave my home, if I didn't have air conditioning. I remember once in Texas when my parents' air conditioner broke in the middle of a heat wave, and the only respite was to wrap up in wet bed sheets, using the evaporative cooling as a way to cool down. As if I needed any reminder that excessive heat is harder to cope with than cold.

Today we will have a high temperature of 68°F (20°C), with lots of sunshine mixed with clouds, and no rain for a change. I find that to be almost a perfect environment. You might not agree with me, as there are plenty of people who love the heat and would really hate our cool weather. I'm not one of them. You have my sympathy if you are like me and must find a way to stay comfortable.

As I age, I realize that my ability to cope with extremes of any kind become harder to deal with. I wonder if that is because the body's ability to adapt wears out, or if I am simply more aware of the changes. In any event, I try to maintain my equilibrium during these times, whatever it takes. This is a difficult time in the history of the world, not just here but everywhere. I envy those who have a strong faith, giving them a way to make sense of our current situation. I myself turn to prayer only when I cannot find any other respite from my fear and anxiety.

At this point in my life, I realize that what I have left to look forward to has diminished to only a few little pleasures. I love to read, and I am happy that my eyesight and continuing macular degeneration is not impeding that pleasure. And I also love to walk and hike, and so far all my body parts are hanging in there, giving me the ability to continue to enjoy the outdoors. My dear partner shares my days and nights, and he makes everything better, just by being there. I have a rich social life, even during lockdown, although much of it is virtual these days. Technology allows me to attend virtual classes, and I follow many blogs that show me how others are getting through their days. I learn from them and share my own ways to cope, and we offer hope to one another.

One of the benefits of these Sunday morning posts is that they give me a chance to stop whatever I'm doing and examine my life. The processing of writing gives me a chance to know what I'm actually thinking, gives me a chance to take stock of my life, of my blessings, and inevitably I find that life is not so bad.

You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it's important for you to understand that your experience facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of your biggest advantages. —Michelle Obama

In fact, right at this moment, I am feeling quite a bit of hope and happiness, for many reasons. One is that this post, my self-imposed task of every Sunday morning, is almost finished.  Not knowing what might emerge is always a little disconcerting. Sometimes the magic works, and sometimes it doesn't. But I always try and find a way to communicate with my invisible audience, try to find out how I'm really doing today, and I always try to give all of us hope for better times ahead. We will not always be in this situation; everything changes and morphs into something different.

And with that, I will wind up this post, bid you farewell for another week, and hope that you will be safe, and will stay well, until we meet again next week. My dear partner has managed to sleep through it all, and my tea is gone. It's time to think of what awaits me in the day ahead. I wish you all good things, dear friends.