Thursday, July 26th, 2018

The BIG BEN that resides in my computer has just struck the hour of Three!

Oh dear, how did it get to be that time already this afternoon.  I had such plans!!!

This was the day I was going to complete winding the warp for the deflected double weave  placemats I have planned, - practicing with 8/2 cotton before I warp with silk to create a couple of luscious scarves for Christmas (fast approaching).... 

But you know how it is in the summer, and in the midst of July's  hottest days.  Each day is warmer than the last, - this afternoon the thermometer hovers between 39 and 40 C, and on a day when the bright blue sky and the scorching sun are covered with a haze of smoke from local and far distant wildfires.....

While there was still a vestige of morning coolness I turned on the Air Conditioner, gathered up my grocery list and went to town,  The grocery store was crowded - all the townspeople are well acquainted with sweltering summer afternoons and like me, do their outdoor chores in the morning.

So the Air has been on for almost five hours, and has reached the stage where it starts producing ice, rather then flooding the house with cool air.  Why does it do that???  Ah, I wish I knew......but I do know how to remedy this situation.  Turn the fan to 'on', raise the wanted temperature to 28, turn off the AC and wait two hours while the ice melts and the machine is ready to fulfill the purpose it was meant for.  (I typed in "dratted machine"  but then I had second thoughts, - firstly not wanting to encourage it to not work at all, and secondly, realizing how very lucky I am to have it, labouring away in this hot, hot weather to make being inside a pleasure.)

I will wait two hours and by then, when I turn it back on, it will have regained its energy and when my daughter comes for Thursday Happy Hour we will be able to sip and chat in cool comfort.

On the farm, when the needs of the Barn came before the needs of the House, we did not have Air Conditioning.  But we did have windows with ventilation that opened inward, into the house, and if we had a large sprinkler whirling on the roof, the effect, if you used your imagination, was of a sudden and welcome spot of rain each time the sprinkler came around.  Not so out in the orchard,- there you had to rely on leafy shade and one day when we were picking apricots in July the thermometer brazenly reached 117 Farenheit (this was before the time of C.)  But we were young, and resilient, and anxious to market the apricots (which were so luscious, tree ripened).

Well, I am sitting here at the computer, when I should be winding warp, - 8 yards, 420 ends, alternating four white with four black threads......

I have been re-reading Chris Arthur's "Irish Willow" in wonderment at his wonderful choice of words, as well as the inventive and captivating ideas he describes in his essays.

It occurs to me that I could turn on a fan, rest my legs and read, and that I could finish that warp in the cool of the morning - tomorrow!!!!!

The weatherman says no relief from this heat until August is upon us, - a few more days!!!!!

I know it is this way in other parts of the world too, and I hope you are all coping!