To Coloradoans' not-so-intense joy, we now have had more than 13 days with 95-plus degree temperatures. The 'dog days' of summer cover approximately the last two weeks in July, and the first two weeks in August. Well, every dog around this house has spent most of the last two weeks trying to find the coolest place on the kitchen tile, usually under the ceiling fan.
I don't blame them.
Unfortunately, Dave's office is now going through routes with the newest drivers hired for this coming school year. Which means they have to travel the whole thing in non-air-conditioned busses. He comes home covered in sweat and exhausted.
Except for a few days in the Denver area (which was even hotter than here), I've been largely panting my way through the time here. There are five things that have certainly helped make this awful heat wave more bearable, though:
*Lots and LOTS of iced tea. Strong iced tea.
*Smoothies...these are great. Neither they or the iced tea have many calories. Here's what I dump in the blender:
-- 1/2-1 cup of fruit (two frozen peaches, nuked for 45 seconds to loosen the skin and make them easier to cut, are the current favorite, but blueberries have starred lately, too.)
--6-8 ice cubes
-- approx. 4 tablespoons sugar OR 2 tablespoons honey
-- 1-2 cups milk (fill your blender half-full, then add more milk if mixture is too thick.)
nice, but not critical -- a small container of flavored yogurt
That's it. Blend everything together and drink! Makes about 4 glasses.
*Wearing a damp dress. I wash clothes, then wear one until it's dry. This is incredibly cooling.
*Hanging the rest of the damp clothes around the house, instead of on the clothesline. They add a perceivable amount of moisture. In fact, I've taken to washing a load of sheets or towels just before we go to bed. Then I drape them over the door to the bedroom. You can literally feel the temperature drop.
*Keeping room windows open in a direct line. Cool breezes come in the guest bedroom, travel down the hall, then exhaust themselves before heading out into the dining room...and vice versa. This way, the whole house cools down, instead of just one area.
I hope your neck of the woods isn't as broiling as ours has been...but perhaps these suggestions will help.
Now I am getting off this sticky leather couch, and taking a shower...
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1 comment:
Hmmmm.... Texas heat is relentless and sticky. I'm sitting right now in a well-air-conditioned house and still have to have a fan blowing directly on me.
Your stories about window openings reminded me of growing up in Nebraska... no air conditioning anywhere. The houses, however, were well insulated, and we had attic fans that pulled air through the whole house. Windows open on shaded sides made the houses perceptibly cooler for all but a couple hours in the late afternoon. 'Course, I was a kid, and spent most of the time outside any way, dodging mexican sand burs and cow patties with my bare feet.
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