Hot enough for you? Actually other than that annoying greeting increasing the body temperature even further for one desperately trying to stay cool, I may have an answer for the eternal question and bad joke lead-in: How hot is it?
Well, as a matter of fact, it’s so hot I’ve had to start watering my lawn.
You see, like at least some of you, I really cut back on my lawn watering when the price of water approached somewhere near pouring out bottles of Perrier in your backyard.
Suddenly the colour green didn’t seem that important and light brownish was maybe even desirable if not environmentally friendly even.
And it always seems like grass comes back in the end, although like during the current hot, dry streak one wants to hedge one’s bets somewhat.
That’s why I watered this past week, plus I have a tree that seems to be a bit stressed and needs a little TLC so out comes the garden hose a couple nights a week.
Summer’s here and some of this is to be expected, and, hey, we do live in the Okanagan after all, but let’s hope some relief is in sight and then back to summer again…..
…….actually it’s been so unseasonably hot lately, again, another set up for ‘How hot is it?’ – that WorkSafeBC has issued a heat stress alert for the Okanagan Valley.
According to the agency, heat stress occurs when your internal temperature increases faster than the body can cool itself down. Symptoms include excess sweating, dizziness and nausea, and if not addressed heat cramps and heat stroke can develop.
Suggestions to avoid this happening include drinking plenty of water, wearing light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing, rest breaks in cool areas and doing the hardest physical work in the coolest part of the day.
Likely what many of us oldtimers would call common sense but it bears repeating.
Hey, keeping people safe is always a good thing and obviously a mandate of WorkSafeBC so take care out there and those of us who work in air-conditioned comfort, well mostly, salute you….
……and speaking of keeping people safe during hot, dry conditions, in case you didn’t know a campfire ban started in the Kamloops Fire Centre last Friday at noon, including the North Okanagan.
It’s very early in the camping season, unfortunately, but understandable due to an extremely hot, dry June.
It always frustrates me at one level when these are issued because, well, I haven’t even got my act together yet to get out there in the great outdoors and they’re nixing one of the main reasons I actually want to get out there in the first place.
I know that’s selfish, and I apologize for that, but camping without a campfire is well, not really camping at all in my book.
However, I understand the reality we’re dealing with and I respect what authorities are trying to do and I encourage all to respect the rules and do be careful in the great outdoors no matter what you’re doing.
Maybe things will change, and by the time I’m ready to go camping (Labour Day’s always good), whenever the heck that might be, things will be back to normal….
…..that’s the thing about heat waves, nothing seems normal at all. But they do pass, heck it might even rain on Tuesday.
So do take care, live in the basement (if you’ve got one) as much as possible and enjoy the sunshine when you can.
And, above all, try to come up with some witty stuff for when the next person asks if it’s hot enough for you?
