Yeah,
I know. I wish I was talking about heroes in this post, but honestly it’s the weather that’s heating me up these days. I don’t know about where you live, but Minnesota has been like a sauna lately. With temperatures consistently in the 90s during the day and the 80s even at night, it’s been downright dangerous.
Don’t even get me going on the humidity! I think I could deal with dry, high temperatures, but we’ve had unusually tropical-like dew points. Humidity above 75 degrees is considered extremely uncomfortable, even oppressive, but we had a day that actually tipped into the 80s, making the temperature feel like 115-120!
I braved the conditions for a long bike ride late morning this past Sunday. Did pretty good and other than a slight headache felt fine once I got home, but my decision to then vacuum the entire house was a bad one. After I’d finished, I felt sicker than a dog. Now I’m housebound and hate it. Even my dogs are going crazy. The only exercise I can off them is a swim in a nearby lake, and even the water is heating up with these consistently high temperatures.
Southerners, for the most part, must take this kind of weather in stride, but I’d honestly take 10 below with wind chills any day over this crazy heat and humidity. You can always add clothes when it’s cold. When it’s hot, there are only so many things you can take off without getting put in jail.
What about you? Are you a cold or hot person? And I’m looking for ideas. What’s your favorite way to stay cool?
If it’s reading in the nice, cool air-conditioning, you’re in luck. My next three Mirabelle Island stories are all available for order online. The first one, THE PURSUIT OF JESSE, is in stores if you’re willing to venture outside!
In Stores NOW
In Stores August 2nd
In Stores September 6th
Riding With The Top Down 
Helen, sympathies on the heat. My kids live in Minnesnowta still and they’re suffering. Especially the little ones who want to be outside dawn to dusk in the summer.
And congrats on the back-to-back releases! What a wonderful boost for your readership– ME included. They must love you at HQ! Sell a million!
Congrats on the releases, Helen! I have to admit that it’s so hot I haven’t moved much out of the house for a few days. This is the kind of weather that makes me love my treadmill–at least I can pull fans in front of it!
Oh honey, even us born-and-bred Southerners are bitching about the heat and humidity this summer. We’ve had days where the heat index was 115 and the air was so thick you had to push your way through it. We’ve had extreme heat warnings from the National Weather Service. In my area of north Alabama, we’ve had enough rain to keep the crops from ruining. But I have a friend in Texas and she said she doesn’t have to worry about mowing grass in the heat because it’s dead from lack of rain. This has sure been one for the record books.
Just stay inside, keep the air moving (I have ceiling fans in every room in my apartment) and drink lots of fluids. And wear cotton. It’s better than synthetics for staying cool.
Congrats on the releases!
Somehow I think kids deal better with heat than adults, Betina. My kids, anyway, never seemed to mind. Just run through a nice, cold sprinkler, right? And thanks on the releases. Sell a million? Only in my dreams!
We finally have some relief, today, Kylie. Only supposed to be 88 with dew point in the 60s. Never would’ve thought that would feel good!
Oh, Marilyn, I keep thinking of the crops and livestock out in this and cringe. Don’t know how wild animals deal with this either.
Hi Helen, I am a hot girl. LOVE the heat…preferably low humidity, but I like it hot. When it’s too hot for me, I drink a lot of water or other ice cold beverages and stay inside. If there’s a cool breeze, I open all the windows and let it in. I don’t own AC…yep, you read that correctly. No AC for this girl. I love the natural breeze and the AC makes me feel very cold.
Am looking forward to the next set of Mirabelle Island books. Picked up “The Pursuit of Jesse” already. So looking forward to reading it. I hope you are able to stay cool!! Take care of yourself.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Paula, I can’t imagine not having AC! I love opening the windows in the spring and fall when the temps are cooler, but now? No way. You seem like a calm person. Wonder if that has anything to do with it?
Hope you like TPOJ!
Helen, we’re supposed to have a heat index of 111 here today. We run the AC and fans and pull down the shades in this extreme weather. Richmond actually has 3 cooling centers for people who don’t have AC or are homeless. I don’t believe in exercising at any temperature greater than 90. As far as outdoor activities are concerned, I avoid them partly because the air quality is so bad with these temps. It’s the flip side of a blizzard.
Enough about that, I am THRILLED about your back-to-back books! What a treat! The perfect activity for this hot weather — reading your new books!:)
xo,
Leanne
I was just in your neck of the woods visiting my sis, Leanne, and it seemed like you have constant humidity there. I’m going to guess those cooling centers get used a lot! Yep, it is like a blizzard!
And thanks on the books. It’s fun have 3 out b to b!
Oh, Helen, no. I would NEVER take the ten below weather over this stuff. I know, I don’t go outside much as it is, but I have been enjoying the heat because I know in less than three months we’ll be shivering again. We go for bike rides in the evenings (but nothing like your cross country workout). And I like to just sit in the sun and soak in the vitamin D. Can a person build up stores of vitamin D for the winter? Probably not.
Congrats on the new books, and I know they’ll all be RITA winners!
I’m not much for sitting in the sun, Michele. I get to fidgety!
All RITA winners. LOL Right.
I am middle of the road kind of gal, when it come to the weather.. I mean i suffer from hot flashes all year, but this is a little much… I had to put the a/c on for the firs time last night. I live in a basement apartment and the landlords are away.. So I really didn’t need it on. But whoa baby, between my own body and the tempatures..I needed the cool… I am not venturing out the foor today, unless it’s an emgerancy..until tomorrow morning, when I have to go out..
I am so looking forward to reading the next installment of this great series.. Congrats on your release Helen.
Hmm. I think I’d take heat over year round hot flashes, Kathleen. Poor baby! Basements do help with heat. I almost went down to our bsmt to sleep the other night. W/o ac that would be the only livable place in our house.
That’s so nice to hear you’re looking forward to these books. I’m really excited about them. Have an artist illustrating a map of the island as I type this. Can’t wait to post it on my website!
You go girl! Congrats on the releases.
Every day I force myself to enjoy the heat cuz the cold is coming and I HHHHHAAATE that. I just hose all the horses down, get doused in the process and go on with my day.
Have wondered how your horse are doing, Lois. How many times a day do you hose them down? Bet they soak that up! What are you and Michele doing in MN? lol
Congrats on the releases, Helen
And I’m a cool weather girl all the way. Feel so fortunate that I can work at home in the air conditioning.
Keep thinking about our soldiers and marines over in Iraq in the 100+ heat with full body armor and 50+ pound packs. And then I don’t feel so hot.
i
OMG, Cindy, I’ve thought about our military more than once when this heat has gotten too much for me. Have no clue how they do it.
It’s nice to not even have to get into hot car to go to work, isn’t it?
This is the kind of weather we get every year and it’s tough. Don’t go outside to exercise in it. just don’t. it’s not worth it. every year there are deaths from people who get too hot in it. Go out in the early mornings or in the evenings, near sundown. You sweat way more and dehydrate faster. Drink lots of water.
my grass too is dying. we actually planted a small patch, water it frequently and it *still* isn’t growing. my dog is looking t-‘d off at me daily because I won’t let him stay outside. When I was younger we had cattle. I remember during the hottest part of the day they would stand in the pond with only their heads sticking out. 🙂
Keri, I think the elderly are particularly susceptible to this heat, and many don’t have anyone looking out for them. We’ve had such a wet summer, so far, that we haven’t had our sprinklers on once yet. Even in this heat.
When i talk my dogs to the lake, after several minutes of swimming after water dummies retrieval things, they just lay down in the water and start lapping it up. The heads of a bunch of cattle sticking up out of a pond would be a sight to see! lol
Hi! I hate the cold weather so i grab the chance when my dad offered me to move to Stuart Fla. 16yrs ago. Now, I’m in the Tallahassee area in a town called Crawfordville,fla. We get a change of weather so when the cold weather hits, it goes right thru my bones and I never can get warm-just like when I lived in Chicago,I wore so many layers I felt like the pillsbury dough boy-thats how i dress here when it get around 40 and my kids are wearing shorts and a t-shirt,just looking at them makes me freeze…thats my story!
Oh, boy, Carole, good thing you moved. I still leave my bedroom windows open at 40. Thanks for stopping by!
It’s still high 90’s here in NJ at almost 8pm & predicted to be in the 100’s tomorrow. I have fans but didn’t put the sir conditioner in the window (may be regretting that). Just read some keeping cool suggestions on Yahoo. One that sounded interesting was to freeze water in a milk/juice jug & put that in front of a fan. Sounds like a homemade room air conditioner.
Diane, that does sound like homemade ac. Good luck with that!
I just discovered your blog and have been enjoying all of the comments about the weather this week. I, too, live in Minnesota, Helen, and have HATED the weather this week. I would take the below zero temperatures over this any day! My good friend who lives in Texas is always bugging me about how I live in the cold weather. I always come back with asking her how she can live in this heat. It is lovely to be able to enjoy days like today when the humidity goes down and it is only in the high 80’s! I find myself staying inside in the AC and reading! I love that because I always love an excuse to read. 🙂
I love the perspective that Cindy gave about our soldiers in Iraq dealing with this incredible heat all of the time. That is such a good reminder. I have to admit that I much too often take them for granted and don’t appreciate all they are doing for us. I will keep them in mind this weekend when the temperatures go up again. 🙂
Hi Kay and welcome! I have a bro and sil in Texas, too, and they bug me too about our cold. This last winter, though, they got a cold shot and some snow. Sent me pics of ice on their pool!!
Glad you’ve found us!
Beautiful weather yesterday, almost as nice today. It’s amazing how much you appreciate the perfect days when they touch the heels of the extremes, be they up or down. Who said “All things in moderation”? Some ancient Greek, I think.
What do you say we all head for Mirabelle Island? I’ll bet the weather there is perfect right about now.
I’ll take Mirabelle, Kathy! Big ole’ Lake Superior is great for taking the heat out of summer!
First, congrats on the new releases!
As for cold/hot, uh, no cold for me. Though it can get too hot in SoCal, where I live. About 3x a year we think about turning on our A/C and we turn it on about once a year. Surfer Guy and the Sons are fine with the heat, but it gets to the point where I get a headache that won’t go away. For cooling off, it does help to wear your bathing suit and keep jumping in and out of the pool!
I know it’s really hot when you find the cat and dog stretched out on the tile in the bathroom!
My cats and dogs head to the tile floors, too, Christie!
Oh boo hoo Helen! 🙂
So that’s the way you want to play it, huh, Diane? Next time in snows in Dallas …