Heatwave
This is day 8 of the heatwave and day 116 of sheltering in place. The forecast is for highs around or above 90ºF for another two weeks, with overnight lows around 72ºF. This house does not have air conditioning.
Normally the house stays pretty cool in Minnesota summers. Normally a stretch of three or four days above 90º would be noteworthy, and it would happen in August, not in late June.
Normally in times like these my wife and I would be making frequent escapes to a movie theater or a nice chill restaurant or bar. That’s not happening now.
I have been watching my mental process of adapting to the reality of this heatwave and comparing it to the journey of coming to understand that this house is going to be my universe for the next many months. Raging at the weather doesn’t work. Bargaining doesn’t either. I have become calm and, I think, accepting of reality as it is. This is generally always a good idea.
[ Note added 2020-07-09: ] The heatwave broke after yesterday, when it reached 94º, and 75º at dawn today. That was 12 consecutive days at or above 90ª. From here out for a while the highs will be seasonal — 80s, with lows below 70º.
We had a “cool down” of 99 degrees earlier this week (ha ha)…110 degrees right now
Wow, coolwave! Throw open all the windows!
I hope you have a basement that’s a good escape site. I escape to mine from time to time for the cool.
We do have a cool basement – dry too thanks to a dehumidifier. I expect we will be spending a greater fraction of time down there as the heatwave wears on.
Reminds me of my years practically on the equator in West Africa. I also had no running water. I’d throw pails full of water over myself, dry off, and within moments be covered in perspiration again – just like before the water buckets. But then, I was younger. To this day, I’m ok with heat. I have not yet turned on my AC. But I struggle with the cold. So for me, winters are harder.