As temperatures heat up across the country this week, I marvel at the good common sense of our felines.  I continue to plow through work and household chores, miserable in this 100 degree heat. They on the other hand seek the cooler ground.

Early in the day they stretch out on the damp concrete patio.  As the sun rises, they come indoors and sleep away the hottest part of the day under a ceiling fan or in the cool recesses of a closet.

Lindy, made in the shade

Beijing, looking frail but still hanging in there

The garden, too, knows exactly what to do on these over-heated days.  Sinewy roots reach down  to capture the cool water below, letting blooms open wide for the sun.  Then they pack up shop as the sun sets and store their energy for the following day.

Helianthus, Sunflower

Cosmos and Forget-me-nots, happy in the heat

Even our native ancestors had more sense than we do.  I see posts on Facebook of people running in the mid-day heat.  Several spectators arrived in Las Vegas area hospitals after suffering from heat stroke while sitting in an outdoor amphitheater in the mid-day sun!  And who do you suppose was offering the tomatoes a mid-day drink in the blaring sun?  Guilty!!!

So…today I’m taking a page from the common sense manual. I ate an early breakfast with my husband outdoors in the patio shade.  I finished my garden chores before 9 and now I’m writing with my feet propped up on the paper shredder under my desk, ceiling fan whirring overhead.  My afternoon client has A/C (hooray).

Once back home I’ll try avoiding my natural tendencies to go, go, go by referring once again to that common sense manual.  If you need me I’ll be doing (almost) nothing, until the blaring sun recedes for another day.

Hey…nobodies perfect.

Ways to beat the heat:

1. Drink plenty of cool water.

Slinky Malinki has a cool drink

2. Take a refreshing bath.

Mighty Mouse thinks a bath might cool me down

3. Enjoy an afternoon nap.

Shine On

Special thanks to Tamara of Botanical Gardens for including me in her list of Shine On Awards.  It’s so nice to be appreciated.  Tamara writes:

I am passionate art and nature lover. As I work for the third age university I got the opportunity to develop a new field of education for our seniors-my idea was to start the senior garden volunteers program. I find it intriguing for this program is not only a bond between education and nature, but it mirrors connections between society, ecology, development, individuality. My wish is to start an inter generational project with our senior garden volunteers. So this blog is also about topics dealing with importance of botany education, senior learning,inter generational learning, ecology,garden volunteers, art. Because, as I have mentioned before-it is blog about My Botanical Garden.