Thrown For A Loop

Mother Nature has thrown a spate of heavy, humid, stifling hot weather at us. Yup, in September rather than when we would expect it . . . like July or August. After having a summer when we had very few days that actually felt like summer . . . why now, for heaven's sake?

I spent a lovely morning quilting with a couple of friends. Delightful conversation, pleasant surroundings (at a coffee shop . . . mmm, good drinks!) and made some progress on some handwork.

Came home, had a quick bite to eat and sat down at my desk to post an entry to my quilting blog. As I was finishing, an almost naked man (my husband clad only in his work shorts) poked his head through the doorway, and announced, "I am going out to mow."

"In this heat and humidity? You'll get heat stroke!" I said.

He replied, "I know, but I did the weed whipping yesterday so I'd just as soon finish the job and have it all done."

This was bad news for me. It meant I had to go out, too. I wanted him to save the grass clippings for me to mulch the parts of the garden that have already been cleaned. We'll let the good bacteria and worms work on them for a while and then possibly till them in yet this fall.

So out we went. Into the horribly humid, hot, hot, hot, muggy, full-in-the-sun yard/garden area. The thermometer on the south facing deck in the shade of our big birch tree read 80°. Lordy, lordy, it had to 90-something out there in the sun.

When he finished mowing, he called to me and said it was time to call it a day. We were both drenched with sweat. (Well, he was drenched with sweat. I was glistening.) I told him I wanted to finish weeding a patch and I'd be in shortly.

About fifteen minutes later, all of a sudden I didn't feel so pretty good. I think heat prostration was trying to get a grip on me. I came inside and sat down but couldn't stop sweating. (I mean glistening.) I finally decided to get in the shower, and now I feel much better.

What the heck is with this ungodly weather now? Dunno, but my zinnias seem to be happy with it. They're looking better than they have all summer.

I guess I need to relax and go with the flow. Mother Nature is obviously having a little fun with us. I think I hear her chucking softly to herself right now.