Hitting the wall of summer

[vaneramos]

Friday morning we have frost (I see it on the used cars next door, but it doesn't hit my tomatoes three blocks away) and by Monday the temperature hits a sticky 26°C (79°F). This is Ontario.

My apartment is unbearable. The fan just blasts hot air in my face all day.

I meet John, Mina and Barney for an evening walk with all the summer trimmings. Everyone has gravitated to the Speed River as if sight of water could cool us. We stand in a long line to buy ice cream cones at The Boathouse. Mina raves about the Creamsicle flavour. I get a scoop of banana under a scoop of chocolate. Under settling dusk, white dandelion balls spread like a supercluster of galaxies across the dark grass.

On the way home I stop at the garden, where several others are taking advantage of the cooling twilight, but the mosquitoes are maddening. I just check a few things, pulling up more bindweed shoots. Hurrah for the peas germinating!

Angelica with its needy taproot isn't taking the heat so well. The rain barrel system hasn't been working, so I drive home and bring back a pail of water. En route from the car, the handle breaks and half the water sloshes down the sidewalk. I have enough to irrigate the angelica, but nothing else. A new moon nestles above the sunset city.

Before going home, I go down to the turnaround at the bottom of Kingsmill Avenue and get out of the car to see if toads are singing in Eramosa River Park, but evening is silent. I'm hit with a heady fragrance of linden flowers, but don't know where it comes from. In the sweaty purple sky, several stars twinkle, a planet gazes plainly, and a single small bat flutters.

It hits me why Lewis Carroll wrote, "Twinkle, twinkle little bat."

My bedroom air conditioner, at least, is working, providing a cool haven for sleep. Today is supposed to go up to 30°C (86°F).

Comments

[taniwhanui.livejournal.com]

Both your writing and the pic are just beautiful. (:

Good luck keeping cool (I know what that's like, it got pretty hot in Taiwan, I taught there for four and a half years - cold enough here in NZ, though, Winter here atm)!

Taniwha

[thewindrose.livejournal.com]

I was up your way this weekend. Saturday and Sunday were quite pleasant, but Monday was beastly.

If it hadn't been a whirlwind trip (through Toronto over to Campbellford) I would have let you know I was in town. I would have loved to have seen your tomatoes growing.

[hankdmoose.livejournal.com]

white dandelion balls spread like a supercluster of galaxies across the dark grass.

You have such an incredible way with words. I couldn't help but to laugh quietly as I read the quoted line. It's so incredibly appropriate!

I feel your pain, in a relative way. In Illinois, we've been in the mid-90's (~35°C) for the past 4 days now. (Actually, it hasn't gotten there yet today, but it's well on its way).

It's unusual that it would get this hot in May. Or so it seems, anyway. But then, I've lived here my entire life and have always failed to grow accustomed to the summer heat.

[capitalcor.livejournal.com]

What a beautiful contract of colors. Your photo's always bring me peace.