Humidity – The Elephant's Trunk

Written for Di’s MLMM Monday Wordle #383.

weather, heat, energy drained, sleep, cover, dark, light, escape, hide, cool, mix

For the past few nights my sleep hasn’t been good but last night was the worst of all. We had a power failure! This was definitely not cool! No AC and nowhere to go to escape the heat. My apartment was dark and all the lights outside were off so I knew this was a widespread blackout, likely covering miles and involving the entire apartment complex. I aimed a flashlight at the thermometer on my balcony. Big mistake: it read 98º! Somehow knowing the temperature made it worse. And the mix of humidity and heat made everything feel gross. I desperately needed to get some rest. Winding my way into the bedroom, I heard a sound like heavy breathing coming from the bathroom. Sweeping the room with my flashlight, I located the source of the sound and I simply had to laugh; my dog Fred found somewhere to hide away from the heat and was fast asleep on the floor of the marble shower! This oppressive weather had done a number on him, too, poor guy. I was drained of all energy. I grabbed a small battery operated fan from the shelf, set it for high and collapsed onto the bed. I was asleep in seconds.

MLMM Monday Wordle #383

This is “It’s Too Darn Hot” by Ella Fitzgerald

This is a photo of a rock in my backyard, one of many in the town where I live. It’s actually more than just a rock; it’s a boulder and what you’re seeing is just the tip. The rest of this massive rock is underground and a section twice as big as what’s visible above ground takes up one corner of the very rear portion of our basement workshop/laundry room. So common are these large rocks that there are areas in my neighborhood with names like Rockcliff Estates, Rockingstone, Rocky Hollow and Rock Ridge.

In the middle of the rock is a fairly large patch of moss; that is something new, brought about by the recent extreme humidity and lack of sun. The branches of our Kousa dogwood tree are drooping lower than ever; even I, the vertically-challenged member of the family, need to duck under the branches when walking in the yard. It’s the thick dampness in the air that’s weighing down tree branches and plants. Canadian smoke hangs suspended in the atmosphere; it’s surreal.

We’ve been stuck in this weather pattern here in New York since mid-June. It’s oppressive. The unforgiving trifecta of summer – haze, heat and humidity with daily on again/off again rain – is relentless and leaves us feeling drained and on edge. Our clothes and bed covers are warm and damp. The AC helps, of course, but the wetness lingers, and makes everything now feel cold and damp. There’s no escaping it; even the birds hide in the shade of thick bushes. It’s eerily quiet and still outside.

It feels like I’m living in the middle of a Tennessee Williams play. I could really use a mint julep served in a hammered copper mug with generous amounts of bourbon and shaved ice.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS July 1, 2023

Tag: Humidity

Wordle: It’s Too Darn Hot

SUMMER AND SMOKE

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