Yesterday morning I opened the back door to let the dogs out for the first time of the day. When I opened the storm door, a stiff breeze caught it, whipped it out of my hand, and sent it swinging on its hinges to bang against the house. A breeze! A little gust of honest-to-goodness fresh air! It seems like such a long time since I've wanted to hold my face up to the sky and inhale deeply.
This summer has been a brutal one, its harsh heat interrupted only by frequent afternoon showers. And for each minute of cool rain, we paid a price in higher humidity. On days like that, a deep breath felt like drowning.
I've stayed in the air conditioning as much as possible this summer, and so have Butch and Kadi. They haven't even wanted to stay outside long enough to roll in the grass or patrol the fence line. They'd run out, do their business, and race back to the house. This morning, though, I saw them lying happily in the grass. I envied them the freedom to do that without worrying about what the neighbors would think.
On days like this I wish I had a hammock. I imagine the peacefulness of being cradled by canvas and rocked by a gentle breeze. (I try not to imagine myself struggling to get into or out of the hammock; those mental images are why I don't have one.) There'd be a book in my hand for a while, then it would lie on my chest while I napped. The sun would be shining, but I would not be hot.
I know summer isn't over. I know there are more steamy days ahead of us. But the lower than usual temperatures yesterday and today have planted seeds of hope that relief is on the way. Seeds of hope and seeds of joy.
My feelings exactly, we have wonderful weather yesterday. The leaves were falling from the trees and it felt just like the beginnings of fall. Too bad the leaves were falling because of the heat and dryness, not the season.
ReplyDeleteWe've been very spoiled this summer only needing a/c around a week or so. The last few days have been brutal but tomorrow is supposed to be better.
ReplyDeleteI love that first fall breeze that rolls in!
The cooler fall weather is a welcome change from what we had here this summer. Hot summer is especially hard on a fat girl like me. Sis 3
ReplyDeletebeautiful....hope springs eternial
ReplyDeleteWe had a day like that a couple days ago-what a relief, and what a novelty to have the windows open all day and all night! I hoped that the strong winds would prevent people from cooking out, because then we'd have to shut the windows. Lucky us, nobody cooked out.
ReplyDeleteI've often envied Spot's ability to lay in the grass or sleep sprawled out on the patio. I like your hammock fantasy, but in my fantasy, there would be NO BUGS!
Heh, that's why I don't have a hammock, either!! Because of the mental image of getting in one...
ReplyDeleteOur summer included very few sunny days, mostly because the sky was obscured by smoke from forest fires for the month of August. And now, we've got overnight freezing and it is becoming close to the time when breezes come from the North and are quite chilly.
Fall is usually so beautiful here, but this year, many of the leaves have fallen already, because of the dry weather.
On the whole, though, I'm glad to be wearing sweaters again and so terribly glad I can take a deep breath of fresh air...with no smoke!
I share that hope and joy with you! Anticipation indeed!
ReplyDeleteVelvet--what camera do you have?
ReplyDeleteNan16, the coolness didn't last long here. I hope you're getting some more cool weather.
ReplyDeleteHolly, I don't think my windows have been opened in years except when we painted all the walls. There are a few days each fall and spring when the outdoor air temperature is perfect, but those days coincide with allergy season. I would LOVE a few cool, pollen-free days to air out the house.
Sister-Three, I know just what you mean.
4th Sister, I actually thought of "hope springs eternal" when I was considering titles for this post. Another case of great minds thinking alike.
Janet, there weren't bugs in my fantasy, either, but I think you've just plugged a harsh dose of reality into my imaginary hammock scenario. When I picture that scene now, I imagine myself flipping the hammock over while I'm swatting mosquitos. Thanks, friend! ;-)
Marion, I'm so glad your smoke is gone. That must have been a very stressful time.
Duly Inspired, speaking of hope, joy, and anticipation, I believe today is moving day for you. I hope your new home brings you all the joy you can handle.
Sister-Three, I have a Canon PowerShot S2 IS that I bought in 2006, and I've been very happy with it. Both my daughters ended up with the same camera, and one daughter's friend liked it so much that she bought one, too. In fact, the friend ruined hers (dropped it in water, I think), then bought a newer model of the same camera.
I love that flower, what is it? I don't want to make you feel bad but our hot steamy days are gone. we will have cool weather until it turns really cold then I will think about you in you nice warm state.
ReplyDeletePatsy, the top photo is bougainvillea, but I think you're referring to the single flower in the bottom photo. Unfortunately, I don't know what that is. I've googled and googled and can't find another flower that looks like this. Maybe there's a garden-friendly reader out there who can tell us what it is.
ReplyDeleteIn regard to your cool weather, I'm glad to hear about it. It's just one more sign that our cool weather is on its way.