Today is one of those hot, humid days that we get every once in a while. And I've been out mowing the lawn. When I came inside, thirsty, to get some cold water, I had to strip off my shirt and shorts because they were wet with sweat.
When it is hot like this, I cannot sit at my desk and write or do any kind of work that requires mental stimulation. But for some reason, physical exertion feels good. I love how loose my muscles feel when the temperatures get this hot. All the aches in my shoulders from last night's belly dancing class have melted away.
I remember how cold I felt last winter when I rode the chairlift at the ski mountain, that wind just chilling me through. So now, I let the heat soak all the way through to my bones and my insides. Sweat has oozed out of my pores until my skin is glistening, and my hair is curling with wetness. When a slight breeze comes up, I lean over to shake out my long hair, and let the breeze cool the back of my neck.
The sun touches my arms, my legs, my face ... and I let myself absorb it. I want to savour this summer heat. I know how soon winter will return.
8 comments:
Sounds great. I wish I felt the same. When I work outside when it's hot, I am miserable. But then again, my winters are nothing in comparison to yours-the extreme here is in the summer.
I too am having a period of feeling grateful for the heat. We've had a very cool spring, and only last week did I put away the blue jeans and pull on shorts, but we're now suddenly and very definitely into hot, humid summer. But the wonderful thing about humidity (as I keep trying to convince D., who didn't grow up with it) is that it makes the air tangible--you can actually feel yourself move through the air, and the air give way to your body--it's quite remarkable. I'll admit that I avoid mowing the lawn when it's so very humid and that we turn on our window air-conditioners so that we sleep better at night, but I'm trying to be aware of and grateful for how good humidity can feel.
Today is our first really hot day, and I will try to summon the strength to savor it after such a chilly spring.
(pause)
Hmm. Think I need to try harder.
Oh, if the heat lasts more than a few days, I will be one of the first to complain about it. I could never live in a warm climate. I can appreciate heat only because we get it so seldom.
What now? I like how you describe moving through that thick humid air. That is part of what I love about it.
Suzanne: I laughed aloud at your comment.
jo(e), you have a way of making everything sound sublime...
I can't believe you're already worrying about winter. It's the beginning of June. I mean, come on. How about a little living in the moment? Enjoy the world around you now. That's what summer is all about--didn't you ever read that story about the ant and the grasshopper?
I'm with PPB -- cool, cold, colder, arctic tundra are my faves.
The good thing about the cold is that you can always put on more clothing. With the heat, eventually you're naked and trying to figure out a way to peel off your skin.
Also:
According to the kinsey report,
Every average man you know
Much prefers his lovey dovey to court,
When the temperature is low.
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