Change in Temperature

We had our taste of climate change last week -- 8 or 10 days of high 80s and high humidity made everyone fussy and very uncomfortable. Like this little quilt showing the heat of the sun--its overwhelming dominance in the sky, I was miserable with sweaty skin. I slept at night with only a sheet which was simply there to maintain some habit of modesty. Our usual afternoon sea breeze sometimes blew in some comfort, but not enough. I thought of the many thousands elsewhere who were  enduring heat in the 100s and felt grateful it was not that here. 

I'm doubly aware of how lucky we were to endure only a few days of the discomfort.  For the past couple of days the temperature has dropped into the 70s and yesterday I was happy to sit in the backyard at Rachel's house wearing  jeans jacket and long pants.  I go to bed and am happy to pull the sheet and quilt up and find them as comforting as usual.  Summer is a magnificent season ... when it is the reasonable summers we're used to. Probably future summers will be even less comfortable for even longer times.  We are living in a greatly changing world. Today's issue of National Geographic that I  glanced at when I was having dinner is largely about the melting of the ice in the arctic and the disintegration of the tundra. Massive changes worldwide. Plus a really horrifying set of photos about the plastic stuff that washed up on the ocean beaches.

I am grateful to be a little cool, to get ready to settle down for my evening's reading wearing a robe and possibly with a throw over my legs and feet to keep me comfy.

W