Cooking on the Patio has a new meaning....

Oh yes, cooking on patio can mean exactly that!  Use the patio instead of the grill.  Grill marks may be off a little but.....

We are breaking all kinds of heat records (I say we stop doing that NOW!) and even night time temperatures are high (seldom below 80).  The shades in the master bathroom are pulled down as they face the west and while that makes the room stay a little cooler than usual, it makes for unhappy cats.  Sam guards the backyard late at night from his perch on the window sill and Millie likes to take a belly tan in the afternoon from the same spot.  See, they can share as long as it isn't at the same time.  

Temporary curtains have been put in the living room windows (they face west too) and while they are red, it makes it hard for me to know what time of the day it is.  So tomorrow, I will keep them open in the morning and close them in the afternoon until the sun goes down or the temperatures gets below 100.  

Both the master bathroom and living room face west and that's the back yard.  It's still pretty although I've moved all pots to the shade and all the baskets are on the ground.  The volunteer sunflower helps shade a few things that are still on the patio but they seem to be handling the heat very well.  I will take pictures so I remember to get the same things next year even though I really really hope that we don't have this kind of heat for a long long time.

Water and electricity are getting scarce.  And it's hard on everyone.  We must limit our yard water of course, but I still water the grass once a week so it doesn't die completely as I like the oxygen it generates.  And I don't want the big tree to die of thirst - I don't like the stupid thing but I'm not going to hasten it's death either.   And trying to limit electricity use between 3 and 7pm isn't too hard.  

But I do worry about my dad.  He's a stubborn old coot and won't listen and realize he can't be out in this heat.  It makes him crankier and it isn't good for his health.  And now that his legs are bothering him, the heat just seems to make it worse.  I hope other people are looking after the elderly in their neighborhoods.