This heat-and-humidity wave is apparently the result of a high-pressure system coming from Bermuda, and is expected to last until the end of August.
The excessive humidity here is having one good side-effect -- it's keeping our forests somewhat safer by limiting the number and size of wildfires. So many places around the world are facing terrible fires with the accompanying loss of life, dislocation of residents, and overwhelming stress on firefighters and resources. I feel for those people and I'm thankful we've been spared that so far.
However, being hunkered down inside in the summer is much like being stuck inside in winter. I go to work and to the grocery store and that's about it. I'm wary of driving any distance in case my car should decide to act up, because I worry about being stuck on the highway waiting for assistance in this heat. That may seem like an overabundance of caution to some folks, but considering I came close to fainting at work a couple of weeks ago after walking to the office from the parking lot, I figure I'd rather be safe than sorry. So . . . no trips to see the grandkids. Or any other relatives. No trips to the beach. No gardening.
Since I couldn't get out to take any pictures, I was happy to find these on the camera from a couple of weeks ago. They were taken in mid-afternoon. The deer are quite comfortable strolling around the neighbourhood night or day -- to the benefit of those who like to watch them and take pictures.
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Two in the front yard . . . |
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. . . joined by No. 3 . . . |
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Aha! What are those things on the front of your head? |
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Why, hello! And hello to your antlers, too! Aren't you going to be handsome in a year or two or maybe four! |
I was about twelve feet from this guy, but I was on the verandah, hiding behind a post (unsuccessfully, judging from the look on his face), with a railing between us, so I wasn't worried about being close. There have been cases of people getting run over by deer. I had no intention of joining them.
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Moseying along to the neighbours' yards |
Other than that, I've been reading and keeping up with the news and trying not to gain weight from sitting around. I'll be glad when the weather cools off even a little and I can get out to walk again.
How do you cope with weather that keeps you from your usual scheduled activity? Are you an indoor-exercise-equipment kind of person? Are you a the-heck-with-the-weather-I'm-running/walking-anyway kind of person? Or are you a cut-back-on-the-food kind of person? Tell me, please -- I'm all ears.
Just like those deer.
Warm wishes from hot Nova Scotia for a good weekend!
I hope your weather moderates. Soon. And the fires which are besetting tooooo many communities can be controlled.
ReplyDeleteI walk anyway when the weather is cold. Gardening ditto.
In the sweaty season I hunker down inside (neglecting the housework and reading), only going out at first light (briefly). I used to swim, and need to get back to it.
Swimming sounds good even though I am not a water lover. Anything to get cool!
DeleteCut back on the food? I didn't realise that was an option. I do sit inside a lot more when it's too hot to get out and about, but there's no exercising unless you count walking to and from the fridge or bathroom. I read and nap a lot to pass the time.
ReplyDeleteCutting back on food is my last resort!
DeleteThe smoke from the wildfires around here has made the sky so hazy that I couldn't see the ISS when it flew over a couple of nights ago.
ReplyDeleteSince I walk in the back yard daily, it's the heavy rain that keeps me inside, as I don't want to turn the grass to mud. Sometimes it gets a little warm, but if it's uncomfortably so I just wait until later.
And about the car? Ours is 26 years old, and Briana is on the road in it, taking her mom to a doctor appointment in Fort Bragg. Her mom lives south of Sacramento. That's about 12 hours driving, total, so I hope both of them and the car are OK...
Lovely pictures of the deer, by the way.
-Doug in Oakland
That's a long drive for an appointment in an elderly vehicle! I hope they're okay as well.
DeleteThat young derr is just gorgeous but knowing the punch even a large dog can pack, I would not want to surprise him!
ReplyDeleteWe had a long hot summer this year and it doesn't make me happy. I wear as little as possible and try not to go out in the heat of the day. I also wash up in cold water.
Here in Sydney we usually get a cool change after four or five days of heat which means there is usually a little bit of relief not too far away so I really wish you well for the next couple of weeks, it's a long time to swelter.
Drink lots and do the bare minimum and I'll cross my fingers for unexpected cool!
We usually only get a week or ten days of this and then a break as well, but this year it's been relentless.
DeleteWashing in cold water sounds like a good tip. I will try that.
We have limited our excursions this year Jenny. The heat and humidity have been oppressive so we have been inside more than usual. We hope to venture forth in the coming days as the temperature sinks to the lows 20s without the humidity.
ReplyDeleteToday was forecast to be 26C but it was 33C. Tonight is forecast to be 15C but I'll believe it when I feel it :) I hope you can get out soon.
DeleteOh Jenny, those deer look adorable. The most exotic thing we get in the garden are squirrels... the grey ones which Tony detests. He calls them tree rats... We would love to have red squirrels though
ReplyDeleteThe deer live quite peaceably in high density neighbourhoods, surprisingly. What would the difference be between gray and red squirrels, in your husband's view? We don't have the gray ones here and I would have thought they'd be similar!
DeleteOh, I love those pictures of the deer eating other people’s gardens.
ReplyDeleteWe are having the same weather on the east coast and it is causing the same affect. We are all staying indoors. The heat and humidity are horrible and the constant rain storms are getting us down. However, because of all the bad, the good is especially good and when those days come around we appreciate them more.
I was just out to California in an area that is not burning, where the sea air is wonderful, sweaters are worn in morning and night, and the days are warm (not hot), and everybody is smiling. I enjoyed myself immensely and for a quick minute I thought about how nice it would be to live there, then I came to my senses and thought what would I do with myself if I had nothing to bitch about. There is joy in that also.
You're so right that we appreciate comfortable weather more after enduring the bad stuff.
DeleteOn your last point - LOL!
Lovely photos. Here, more than average runs have been given credit for reducing the prospect of hurricanes. I'm happy to be inside if this is so. Have a nice weekend.
ReplyDeleteThanks, e. Yes, anything to lower the chance of hurricanes; you're right. I hope that plays out as it's supposed to!
Deleteoops! I meant rains.
DeleteDon't worry; I figured it out!
DeleteThe hot weather has been most unpleasant. I go out after 8 to do my bike riding. About 8:30 it starts to feel cool. Tues evening I rode 18 km.
ReplyDeleteThere have been a lot of nights here that didn't get below 22C until 3 or 4 in the morning. And some that never got there at all.
Delete18 km is a very respectable ride, in my opinion, especially for a barely-cooled-off evening!
I should have added, the humidity made it feel a lot warmer.
DeleteThe problem has been that with the very hot weather we've been having here in the UK the only place to escape the heat was in my air conditioned car. The house was hotter than outside. Now I'm glad to say the rain has arrived and it's actually quite chilly. I just hope it doesn't last too long. Now I miss the sun. :D
ReplyDeleteHumans - we're never satisfied, are we! lol I hear you.
DeleteMost shops here have air conditioning but only some homes do. Everything gets hot - the floors, the walls, the furniture, as well as the air - and it takes forever to cool down once the weather changes. I'm glad you're getting some relief from the heat wave.
Those deer are adorable! Those antlers...so cute!
ReplyDeleteI cannot tolerate the intense heat and that’s what it’s been like this year. We have had the hottest, driest, most humid summer. It's been horribly unpleasant. The entire month of July was written off. We'd either go out to run errands in the morning or late evening. Just errands, a stop in somewhere for coffee or a quick stroll in the late evening…that’s about it. And only if the temperature dropped, which it hardly did. We did practically nothing.
And what's worse, our car's air conditioning died in early summer, and because our car is very old and we're planning to buy another one this autumn, we didn't want to spend money on repairing it. It would be a waste. So, we've spent most of the summer stuck inside. How did we cope? Rumour has it that one of us almost went stark raving mad. I won't name names or point fingers at who that might be :)
It’s not completely over but it is starting to get better now, so we’ll be getting out a little more. I feel like I’m being released from prison!
As bad as our summer has been, I think from the news reports that Ontario has had it even worse, haven't you? No wonder *one* of you has been having a hard time! I know what you mean about feeling like you're getting out of prison. I like being home, but I like having the choice to go out if I want :) I hope you get some more moderate weather soon.
DeleteOh, and just wanted to mention that my brother and sister-in-law are in Nova Scotia as I write this; their first visit in the eastern part of Canada. And they are loving it! Can't wait to see their photos.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! Have you been ever been East yourself?
DeleteNow I have the urge to ask everybody I see taking pictures if they know Martha From Blogland :D
HAHAHA! Martha seems to be off the grid these days. My plan is to get back to blogland next month. Hopefully! I'm enjoying this break way more than I thought I would.
DeleteAnd to answer your question: no. I have never been to eastern Canada. But I hope to one day!
Florida in the summer is miserable. I don't go out except to watch the dogs or go to the car, where I turn on the AC immediately. I can't even go for a walk because of the heat and the mosquitoes. I don't know how some people run in this weather.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I think some people can tolerate a wider range of temperatures than others. Or are able to build up more tolerance through exposure. But I'm not one of them, and it sounds like you're not one of them either. I can't imagine how bad it must be there if it's this bad here!
DeleteThe weather never bothers me, Jenny. I never go outside. I can’t take the heat.
ReplyDeleteJoin the crowd, Terry :)
DeleteI'm having that same trapped-indoors kind of feeling, here in Florida with my mom. We have to limit our outdoor activity because of the heat. I'll be glad to get back to England and do more walking.
ReplyDeleteI never realized Nova Scotia got that hot! You have very handsome deer, at least. Hopefully they weren't eating any of your gardening. :)
This summer has been the worst I can remember, which is borne out by news reports. Usually we get a week or maybe two of this weather and then it moderates. This year it just goes on and on and on. Although just after this post, our nights got cooler, which is a big help.
DeleteThe deer are saving their appetites for my rhododendrons once the cold weather starts - ha ha!
Oh I am really sorry dear Jenny that weather of your area being nasty to keep you inside when finally this is spring blooming around you!
ReplyDeleteYes like many other countries we are also suffering with extremely hot and humid weather which is not a new thing for us being a citizen of sindh province situated in south west of Pakistan.
In such harsh and swealtring season we try to stay inside except in morning n evening which is usually airy and pleasant in most of the summer months.
Hubby take naps and I help youngest son with studies or do little bit of reading or blogging if find time luckily.
Your surroundings are so appealing and how wonderful to find such lovely creatures around.
Never heard that they run over to men here though.
Glad you captured and shared their beautiful photos my friend!
Keep taking good care of yourself!!!
Hugs!
I know we do not have such hot weather as many other people around the world, so I feel a bit guilty complaining about it! I think what makes it feel so bad is that we are not used to it and have not figured out how to cope with it. Or, we have figured it out but it is so different from the freedom we are accustomed to.
DeleteHah! The deer didn't run to me, I had to stand very still, behind a post, and even then, when the deer in the picture realized I wasn't a post myself, he trotted away!
The deer are beautiful... as long as they're in YOUR yard, not mine. :-) A few days ago, two fawns and their mother trotted across the road just in front of us. The babies' spots were just beginning fade - so cute!
ReplyDeleteWe're still frying on the west coast, too; and it seems as though the entire province of BC is on fire. Like you, I feel for everyone involved. The wildfire south of us is now about 50% under control and we had some rain a couple of days ago (heaven!) so I'm not feeling quite so jumpy. The smoke is very thick, though - it's been drifting over from the mainland as well as from the fires here on the Island. Bermuda can keep their dang high pressure.
I'm thankful that I have a treadmill indoors!
I've often wished for a treadmill but who am I kidding? I already have two pieces of exercise equipment I never use (unless you count hanging wet laundry on them) . . . :)
DeleteI've been seeing those fires in BC and feeling badly for everyone living through that. I hope you get more rain soon, for both the fires and your well!
I'm a watch what I eat person. The trouble is, I'm really, really bad at it!
ReplyDeleteLove those pictures!
I hear you; I *watch* what I eat as I'm eating it which, not surprisingly, does no good at all :(
DeleteThanks!