The Cool

The interior of our house is dark; all curtains drawn against Sun's strong rays. Even the windows are closed...battened down against the searing Wind. The temperatures, for the last week, have hovered around the 40C mark, with little cool of the night occurring.

Lucky and Nate cannot find comfort.  They wander from place to place inside, and then...they want outside. Where they dig. They are digging for the cool. But there is none...even a foot or two underground, the cool only lasts an hour. The dry North Westerly Wind sees to that.


I gave them raw frozen bones this afternoon. This is the doggy equivalent of ice cream cones, in our house. Nate will worry it all day, while Lucky will mess around with it for awhile.  Perhaps long enough to find the cool.

The garden looks torched.  Certain shrubs, tender young things who are not yet accustomed to Sun's punishing, golden rays, have curled, dry leaves.  I am under no doubt they will recover, should this heat wave recede, yet I have no assurance it will, in the immediate future. The long range forecast calls for this weather to continue into the weekend.

 
The Tomatoes and Cucumbers in the greenhouse seek the watering can twice a day. Their pots completely dry out in eight hours.  I know. I have timed it.  Each time I water, I feel as if I had just done the deed, only just watered them a minute ago...

Water is becoming a concern, as well.


Wildlife has gone underground.  I see little activity besides the amazing population of Bird species who inhabit this place. We recently bid goodbye to a family of Swifts, who decided to work on the bathroom vent until they found entrance...

But the Ant population loves this hot, dry weather.  They pay no never mind to the hot breath of Wind...they continue to do what they were born to do. Did you know male Ants need do nothing other than fertilize the Queen?  They are looked after entirely by female Ants, who run the place. Huh.


I wouldn't mind those Ants, but they must move one of their nests, which is right in the middle of a flowerbed. They lay their eggs in the roots of the plant, leaving Air holes.  The plants dry out.

I've attempted to persuade them to go by flooding them out, but I understand their nests can go 15 feet deep. I am barely scratching the surface with my 'flooding'. We will see where this one goes, since I don't like Ant poisons.

They are such industrious creatures...a heat wave brings about no sloth-like behaviour in these Insects. I tend to admire them; therefore, more than likely they will be allowed to continue their single-minded quests.

And the Wild Asters! They are simply astounding...there is no other word for it. They bloom everywhere, singly, in groups, against the fence, down the bank...their purple hue lights up in the strong Sunlight. With nary a drop of Water, these plants have life in the heat down to a fine Art.



A couple of days ago, whilst waiting for the cool to arrive, I vowed I would continue my own chores, even in the face of the heat. Perhaps I would be slow; however, I wanted to make sure I continued to be mobile and active.


There may be whining, but at least it would be productive whining.

With this in mind, early this morning I watered the garden, a little. With Wind blowing sprinklered Water everywhere, instead I water by hand. I made sure to water the roots; leaves love the moisture, but if those same leaves shield their roots, the plant is in trouble.


I harvested greens...the Mesclun and Lettuces will soon bolt in this heat.


It was time to retire inside, after a few other gardening chores were done. Sun and Wind together created a convection oven-like atmosphere, and my body rebels against it.


Yesterday I picked Saskatoon berries, who are quickly drying up into shrivelled, raisin-like buttons on the plant. And so, today, I extracted the juice from them, after cooking them down. Then, I made Saskatoon/Cherry jelly. How does that sound with a Peanut Butter sandwich?


After this, I made No-Brainer Pasta Salad, which is basically a mix of favourite vegetables, pepperoni and cheese, pasta and an oil and vinegar dressing. I placed it into the refrigerator to marinate until dinner. After a hot day, in an over-heated home, there is nothing better for me than a cold Salad.


Yet, I find I am becoming acclimatized to being in very warm temperatures. I wanted to roll my body into the refrigerator at the beginning of this heat wave.


But now, it appears sweat rarely runs down my face...only if I am foolish and attempt to work at physical labour, in the heat of the day. Or night.


The Ant and Aster population is still ahead of this poor human...


Even with their example, right there in front of me, the female Ants working desperately, so singlemindedly, at the breach in their nest, in the blazing Sun...even with that!


I am still, along with our two dogs, trying to find the cool.


But there is a Lake, not far from me.


Deep and I'm told, very, very cool...