Sitting in the Shadows to Stay Cool

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Each day’s objective right now is to get the things that must be done outdoors done early to avoid the hottest part of the day.

I just don’t recall it being this hot last year. And oh heavens! We have August and September to go!

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I have extra table fans going in the living room and small office area. And I keep an eye on the outdoor cats’ water and food. They don’t even seem to want to eat in this heat.

I think many of them go down into nextdoor neighbor Smitty’s basement when it gets very hot and very cold. I’m thankful they have that.

I’ve had to order 70% blackout curtains for the laundry room because the window is in the western sun exposure. I’m doing everything I can because it goes up to near 80 in here around 3 p.m. and stays that way till midnight.

Chore For The Day:

I’m washing bedding today. I got up and made scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and raisin toast for breakfast. Tonight I will have tostadas with the leftover refried beans and Mexican corn I prepared last night.

My tostadas are meatless. Just refried beans, onion, and tomato. Still, I found it quite tasty. I don’t even miss the meat. The only meat I currently eat, and I guess it isn’t meat, is tuna fish.

Some nights I’ll mix tuna up with mayonnaise, onion, and relish and toast bread for a sandwich. The cats beg (this is the only time they beg for table food), and I give them a little tuna each.

I’m trying not to even turn on the toaster/convection oven. And I certainly won’t be turning on the oven! I’m eating meals warmed in the microwave and calling it good.

The Container Garden:

The container garden was already looking bedraggled from all the rain before this intense heat. I don’t think my cucumber plant is producing any more, and the tomato plant bit the dust.

So much for the gardening season of summer 2026. Guess I can start planning next year’s garden in my head.

I look around me at all that needs to be done and just can’t get myself up and doing chores like vacuuming and mopping. Just don’t have the bandwidth.

I’d been putting off laundering bedding for days as it is. But today I pushed through the lethargy to do it.

I find myself sitting mostly in the shadows every day because I just hate to turn on the lights. Does it just seem like you’re cooler without the lights turned on, or does it actually lower the temperature? I don’t know.

My water thermos goes where I go, and I find myself sipping it greedily because of the heat. I know some people who hate water, but I love the refreshing taste of it. And it’s so healthy for you!

That’s all I’ve got today. Try to stay cool and hydrated!