Saturday Slightly Warm, Smoky

I don't know which feels worse: 72 degrees at 6:30 a.m. or 105 degrees at 5 p.m.

Both are pretty miserable, and both have occurred here in the past 24 hours. 

I think we set a heat record for North Idaho yesterday, and I'm hoping we don't surpass it again in my lifetime. 

This morning's 72 degrees is probably a bit more miserable. My fingers are sticking to my computer keys, and my elbows to the chair arms. 

Unlike most of the summer, we never really received much relief from the heat overnight, and though the high temperature will be 20 degrees cooler than yesterday, a cool morning makes a big difference in productivity. 

I'm ready for productivity after spending the last two blistering hot days in survival mode for humans and animals. 

Our horses must have liked the heat cuz I could not get them to come anywhere near the sprinkler to cool off.  

The dogs, except for Foster who's not a water dog, loved  every time I pulled the hose out, which I did more frequently than usual, to keep my deck flowers from withering up and to cool down the area. 

One of my survival strategies during mid-afternoon yesterday, just about the time the temperature was nearing 100 involved climbing in the car and driving the Sunnyside Loop Road.

At one point as I drove the east side along Pack River Flats, the car thermometer plummeted from 100 degrees to 84.

All those trees blocked out whatever sun was making its way through the smoke which definitely did a number on North Idaho beauty yesterday. 

I was amazed on the hottest day, probably in recorded history for North Idaho, that for a few minutes I had all of the Hawkins Point dock and beach area to myself. 

So, I took advantage and spent some time walking in water with my Crocs.  

By the way, for all, like me who wanted to buy up several pairs of Crocs after hearing that the company was shutting down factories, I read a news item this morning that strongly suggested that "they're not going away." 

Anyway, the comfortable lake water lapping up to the shoreline felt pretty good on those feet. 

My goal, besides enjoying the car's air conditioning was to find some beauty in the midst of the heat and smoke. 

Twas a challenge, but even the smoke sometimes creates some interesting effects. 

I also hoped to convey heat in pictures.  It seems that even without smoke, there's a unique bluish haze and a sense of stillness in the air when it's that hot. 

With the latter, of course, to move very much at all anywhere but IN the water would bring on another wave of uncomfortable sweat.

There was movement among the fingers, however, with many folks registering via photos just how hot their car thermomenters, their phones or their home thermometers were registering between the hours of 3--6 p.m.

My fingers even dialed my friend Helen to officially say to another human being that IT'S 105 degrees. Telling someone, I guess, makes it more real.

And, so today we deal with the residual of a warm morning after a hot night.  

And, come next winter, we may be tapping away on our phones or computers to share with the rest of the world just how cold it is at our house. 

Right now, that feels like a good idea. 

Happy Saturday.  Stay cool.