Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Beat the Heat

I know that our temperatures here in Minnesota can't come close to those in the states west of us, but nonetheless, it is hot.  And muggy.  Staying indoors in my air conditioned apartment is the best possible option.  I don't do well with hot and muggy.

I have 10 lbs. of potatoes waiting to be dehydrated and beans ready to be canned up into pork and beans, but I believe they can just wait a while longer.   The central air in my building works fine as long as I keep the windows closed and don't run the dehydrators or the stove too much.  I am glad that I canned several varieties of soup earlier.  Lunches this week will be soup from a jar that I can microwave and maybe a sandwich.  The crockpot will be getting a workout this week as it throws off very little heat.  I thawed out some chicken legs and will add some broth, a jar of diced potatoes and carrots, some dehydrated onion and let it cook all day.  Dumplings added  about a half hour before suppertime will make a good meal.

My scrawny bean plants have a few more blossoms on them and so does the cantaloupe.  Looks like I should have blossoms opening up on the zucchini in a week or two.  So far I haven't killed off any of the plants in my little windowsill garden.  I thought for sure I would have murdered at least some of them by now.

Aside from a few minor housekeeping chores, I think it will be quiet here in my little corner of the world.  I have sewing projects and books to read and I need to make some entries in my genealogy program.  Lots to do without having to deal with the heat and humidity.

Life is good.

14 comments:

  1. My crockpot does not give off much heat either unless it is hot and humid outside, then it is like having a heater on all day. Some days, I think it would be better to just use the oven for an hour and get it over with one night. But, I do use the crockpot instead.

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    1. Linda...With such a small apartment, the oven heats it up quickly, where the crockpot can run all day with no change in the indoor temp.

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  2. Quiet sounds nice, enjoy your book!
    It was hot and muggy here too, lots of storm and tornado warnings. Cooler today then back to heat!

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    1. Jenn...I have been enjoying reading today - and a nap or two. Even though I am indoors, the heat and humidity seems to sap my energy. I don't know why that is.

      So far the storms have gone around us, but more stormy weather is predicted for tonite. Don't think it will cool things down much. Which means I get to be lazy for a few more days. :)

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  3. We have terrible humidity right now. And a lot of rain.

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    1. Kristina...We have the humidity, but the rain is missing us. I have had enough summer. Looking forward to fall. :)

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  4. It was 109* most of last week. The irrigation timer failed on the victory garden's drip system. I was out of town. The results were... predictable... Oh well; better to learn now than to die later... Never trust a robot...

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    1. Pete...I feel guilty, whining about our 90 degree heat. I don't know if I could handle 109*. I am such a wimp. :)

      Sorry about your garden. That is just awful. I wonder why it is that mechanical things tend to break down when nobody is there to fix them. I sometimes think we rely too much on gadgets. Better to learn now....good point. We may have to go back to the old ways, the way things are going.

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  5. I thought I had replied yesterday -whoops, operator error. I,too, just melt when it gets hot. Temps in the low90s are about as hot as we usually get. Some summers, we have a few days with higher temps but not normally. Today is a perfect summer day, imo, with temps in the high70s.
    I've been re-reading a series of mysteries written by Lillian Jackson Braun. Cats feature as main characters and help solve the mystery. I haven't read these books in years and have been enjoying them.
    Enjoy your book. Cheers, SJ

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    1. SJ...I think it might be the humidity that gets to me more than the heat. Our high temps are about the same as yours and then not all that often.

      I was going to read today, but got engrossed in my genealogy research. I found a black sheep which tickles me. So many who track their family trees are interested in finding links to famous people or royalty. Not me. I love finding the scoundrels. They are much more fun.

      Your mystery series sounds like fun. I may have to charge up the Kindle and spend some time tomorrow reading. It is one of my favorite pastimes. :)

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    2. vicki,
      It was 95 here today with high humidity. I can guarantee you that 109 with low humidity feels cooler than any temp with humidity. I cannot breathe or move when the humidity is high. I sweat lots, so I can keep cool...lol. However, when the air is so sticky, my sweating does not cool me at all. I think getting older is why it hurts me so much more than even ten years ago.

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    3. Linda...I have no idea why the combination of heat and humidity messes with joint pain so much, but it does. Those days are quiet days for me.

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  6. Your search for scoundrels sounds fun. I have a few in my background -my maternal grandfather being one.
    Ended up with a doctor's appointment this morning. I'm seeing a specialist in August (Yea!!) and just found out he wants some specific labs done. Would have rather been in the garden or reading but got 'er done, as they say.
    The rest of the afternoon will be quiet. Dog is asleep next to me and the sliding door is open. Beautiful day in the mid70s. We even had a very tiny shower this morning to clear the air. My part of BC is fine - in case our forest fires are making the news there.
    It's nice to have different projects to choose from, right? Those who say retirement is boring must be pretty dull.
    Take good care of yourself. Cheers. SJ

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    1. SJ...I just love finding the scoundrels. Partly because others in my family who have researched my family tree have had tendency to gloss over the less than stellar deeds of ancestors. Me...I set them out on the front porch, drink in hand, for all the world to see. Probably some of my orneriness showing through. :)

      I will do just about anything to postpone visits to the doctor's office. But sometimes we just have to pull up our big girl panties and go anyway. Hope all your tests turn out the way you want them to.

      We had a day here today pretty much the same as yours. The temp barely got over 70 degrees, with a little bit of a breeze. Every window in my apartment is wide open and I have a fan going, drawing in that lovely cool air. My energy level is up accordingly and I am getting a few thing done that needed my attention. I enjoyed every minute of it, for tomorrow the heat and humidity returns. But today - lovely.

      Sometimes it seems almost like a curse to have so many interests. But then I think about a little old lady I once knew who spent her days in a recliner, tea and cigarettes on a tv tray alongside, watching television from morning until night. That's all she did. I would be bat-guano crazy within about a day and a half of that. I guess I would rather have too many projects to choose from than to spend all of my time with a TV.

      I have a mental picture of your dog snoozing in the sunshine. I miss dogs. You take care of yourself, too.

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