Today's expected high temperature is 96 degrees...for me, that is too hot, at least 25 degrees too hot. I am a fall & winter kind of gal, loving every minute of sweater-weather from autumn's crunch of leaves to the silent beauty of a snowfall.
And yet, here we are in the hot, hazy, humid days of summer; The Dog Days of Summer as they're called. A quick look at The Farmers' Almanac tells me why they have this name...called the Dog Star, Sirius rises and sets with the Sun from July 3 to August 11. It's said the ancient Romans believed Sirius gave off heat, making the summer weather even hotter...and so they called the 20 days before and after its alignment with the Sun, "dies caniculares", or dog days.
Today is filled with the whirring of locusts and the distant sound of doves calling...farm lore says that doves calling means rain will come, and with fingers crossed, we're hoping so.
Summertime days begin early, before the sun is high...the garden and flowers are watered, animals get buckets of cool water along with breakfast, bird baths are filled, and any weeding, tilling, or harvesting is done before the sun creeps over the tall maples.
Now, if you ask my family, they will tell you I am a broken record, with my favorite 3 words this time of year being...
I
Hate
Summer
But really, it's only the heat and humidity that make me cranky. I can sometimes be found splashing my face at the outdoor faucet or, on particularly hot days, putting my entire head under it...how's that saying go, "Farm hair, don't care!" Whatever it takes to cool off and get the job done.
I love summertime flowers...
I love the garden...
I love the look of rain in the distance over the cornfield, and the fireworks at sunset...
I can't do anything to change the heat of summer, but with the blessings of smiling goats and tag-a-long cats, it's not so bad.
And really, is there any better time to make homemade ice cream? Hmmm, guess what we'll be doing tomorrow!
