Anything above 70 deg. F and I begin to wilt. Over 80 (it was 82 today) and my breathing gets compromised, especially when pollen levels are so high. Time to stay indoors, as I have done most of this afternoon. I had the bed stripped and remade by 7.20 this morning (I was up at 5.30), and the first load of Tam's washing on (I came home with 4 or 5 bagloads!)
I did some work on the Probate, nearly there now, and got in touch with the Solicitors in Brecon to arrange to pick up a copy of Keith's Will.
I needed bread so started making myself an Oat Loaf - I needed to make oat flour in the blender first. I soon had the dough working away in the bread maker but had to put it in a bowl in the fridge to slowly rise after the Solicitors had returned my call.
As you can see, it rose well despite being in the cool.
Then I drove over the Eppynts to Brecon, to collect the Will and pick up a few bits of shopping. Just walking round Brecon gave me a headache and had me melting. I took a clean plastic bag of used asthma inhalers into Boots to be recycled, and the chap who dealt with me took the bag from me with the tips of two fingers like it was full of cat poo!!! I didn't look like a bag lady - I was cleanly dressed, made up and hair done - did he think it was contaminated or something? What odd behaviour.
Heat-misty Brecon Beacons in the distance. NOT the day to be climbing up Pen-y-Fan.
Of course, back home I have had to water round, especially the young plants in pots - which I should have planted last week when it was wet for them - and everything in tubs and as far as the hose would shoot the water in the beds. The cats have chosen to be indoors and who can blame them, in this heat, when they have thick fur.
Of course, the prognostications for "the hottest summer on record" with maps with black and dark red blobs on showing the hottest areas to scare people are doing the rounds online. When I was growing up, it was just a good summer, and we had temps in the 90s back then and 1976 is still being talked about . . . Why does the media have to scare us about everything these days? Ignorance is bliss.
Ilona - a shame you weren't here this week as I imagine the Pembrokeshire beaches would really have been very welcome indeed.
