I Dream of Snow

Is it too early to be dreaming of snow, perhaps the blizzard we had this past winter, to try and stave off the heat?  Some people love this hot and humid weather.  I for one, will tolerate it, but will never ascribe the words "love", "like", or "enjoy" to it.   I know that I am belaboring the point of this current heat wave, and for that matter, the previous one we just got through a few weeks ago.  However, when you work outside all day, feel the fluctuations of the heat between the shade and the sun, and become drenched with sweat the moment you start working, you get the undeniable right to complain about it, at least a little bit.  Yet, I don't think I have really complained too much outside of my morning blog.  Yes, the heat is on outside, but there is nothing that I can do about it, so I work as hard and as fast as I can while pounding at least 200 ounces of water back a day.  There is something to be said about working outside in the heat as much as I have been.  To a certain extent, your body does get used to it.  I can now sit in the shade during lunch and not sweat.  The only problem with sitting down to lunch is that my body dries off, I relax, and when I stand up and feel the heat of the sun, there is absolutely no iota of my being that has a desire to start working again.  So I work, I sweat, and I make it through the day, sometimes barely.   I mentioned the heat wave at the beginning of this week and my brother, who was vacationing briefly in Las Vegas, commented that it was over a 100 there during the day, every day.   Well, that's just fine and dandy, but I don't work in Las Vegas, I work in Connecticut, and when the temperature gets over 90 in Connecticut with humidity, it feels about the same as it does in Las Vegas without humidity.  On top of that, he was vacationing, so he had the unique ability to pop into an air conditioned building should he have had the desire to, and as such, I have no sympathy for him.  No offense to anyone else who lives in an area with ridiculous hot temperatures but I don't live there, and there is probably a very good reason that I don't, namely, I wouldn't go outdoors very much. 

 

But back to snow.  All this heat drives my desire for a winter such as the one we had back a few years ago, I believe it was the winter of 2010/2011 when we had snow storm after snow storm that kept on dumping snow.  That is my kind of winter.  Cold, snowy, drifts everywhere, and not a spot of humidity to be found.  What could possibly be better than a blizzard?  Not much in my mind, except perhaps a beautiful spring or fall day with the temperature around 65, no humidity, and a cool breeze.  I have had people tell me that if I want to have that year round I can go live in San Diego.  They are absolutely correct, if that's what I wanted, however, I don't.  I love the changes of the seasons, even if it means getting slammed with a number of heat waves over the summer.  Getting through the heat of the summer and being able to witness the splendid fall colors that erupt come September and October makes every bit of sweat worth it.  And then the snow.  I love the snow and don't think I will ever get tired of it.  I even enjoy shoveling it.  And then spring, when the earth comes back to life, sparks up with beautiful flowers, leaves on the trees, and warmer weather.  I wouldn't trade any of it, even the heat of summer.  When you think about it, the period of time when we get the heat waves is small compared to the rest of the year, so I will suck it up and work right through it.  People ask exactly how I work through it or ponder how I can even work outside all day at all.  I know it will sound simple and stupid, but the name of the game is to not think about it and focus on the work at hand.  And of course, dream of blizzards and being surrounded by mounds of snow.  That helps as well.  For me at least, with a body that loves to sweat, I must be overly careful with how much water I drink and how many breaks I get in the shade.  There are always a few times every day when I feel my head getting a little fuzzy and need to take a breather in the shade with some ice cold water.  I know its not even good to get to that point, but sometimes its inevitable.  I know the signs, I drink my water, and I wake up the next day to do it all again.  That's all.  For now, another day in the heat begins, for now at least in the cool environs of my house.  Stay safe all you outdoor workers, and for those working inside, do me a favor and if your A/C stops working, don't complain.