Heat wave nearly over--not a moment too soon

Brown-eyed susans

The worst of this latest heat wave is just about over, though the effects aren’t moving out of town just yet. It’s so dry that grass cracks and breaks underfoot. The humidity that wilted plants and people alike is still here, too. The air is so soupy with moisture that a fish could breathe out of water, and I think I could breathe better if I was a fish.

With a little luck before today is over, even the humidity might get tossed out of the area. The only downside is that the actual eviction is likely to bring severe storms with it. That part I could do without.

I’ve lived on the mountain for 20 years now, and Friday was the first time I actually saw a temperature reading of 100 here. I’ve seen temperatures that high down off the mountain occasionally. Friday’s official temperature in Harrisburg was 103. That’s at least 20 degrees higher than I like it.

The extreme weather affects the forest residents, too, of course. Deer are even less likely to bolt than usual. They try to graze on brittle grass up on the ski slopes. They stand out in the open, trying to catch a virtually nonexistent breeze, and watch the cars go by. At least the ponds still have enough water in them for the residents. I’ve seen deer standing in the water, up past their knees, this week. I won’t know how the stream at the base of the mountain is doing until tomorrow, when I have another group of kids in camp.

I’ve walked right up on several rabbits this weekend. Or perhaps it was the same one several time over. Who can be sure about that? Even those shy creatures don’t want to run until the last possible second. The chickens lounge underneath the coop, scooping out round areas of dirt to plop into. We will all be glad when the heat is over. Weather like this is the number one reason why I’m not a summer person.

Maybe I should live in Alaska or the Yukon. The summers there might be cool enough to suit me. I’m a lot perkier when the weather is cooler.