Hotter Than a Snake's Belly in a Wheel Rut

Ya'll it is hotter than Guam here.  The daily high has been over 100 degrees for so many days that I've forgotten when this heat wave started.  We were excited last night when they talked about cooler days in the forecast for next week, which is highs in the 90's.  That's not really cool.  That's just less hot.  Funny how cool 96 seems when it's been 110.  It's like a blast from a furnace when you walk outside, and within thirty minutes of the lightest activity you are cooked, melted and pooling on the sidewalk.  Thanks to all that sweat, we all consistently five pounds closer to our goal weight these days.  How's that for a bright side?

I'm not complaining about the heat.  I'd still rather deal with this than cold weather.  I know most folks don't, but I'm not most folks.  I'm all about summer, baby, even if it's a scorcher.  I'm okay with sweating.  I'm not okay with shivering.  I'm okay with light clothing.  I'm not okay with coats and gloves.  I must admit though, hot flashes in this kind of weather are a killer.  I thought I was going to suffocate yesterday, and I was just sitting still.  I have decided there is just not enough naked when you're having a hot flash and it's 105 degrees outside.  It's better than the alternative though, in my Done With Having Children opinion.

This heat and lack of rain has done a number on our yards and plants.  Everything around here is Texas brown.  No offense to those of you in Texas.  Yours is a fine state.  It's just that, compared to Kentucky, your landscape is very brown.  And now, ours is too.  The only folks with any green in their grass are the people with the best sprinkling systems.  And even that isn't really enough for some yards.  The grass is so crunchy is almost hurts to walk barefoot on it.  Hubby finally gave up on watering ours.  Poor Hubby.  There's nothing he enjoys more than a lush green lawn, and he's not getting it this year.  He's still watering the garden though, and it's doing fine. 

As I drove across the county today I noticed just how dead the vegetation is.  We are one tossed cigarette butt from a devastating fire in all parts of this area.  In fact, we have had a fireworks ban for the last week because of it, and I'm glad.  It really wouldn't take much for someone to lose their home in a fire started from the slightest spark.  As it is, most folks are being pretty watchful for anything that could start a problem.

I have some maternity pictures to take tomorrow night, and we have planned to take them at my house.  I've carved out a little shady spot in the backyard that still looks somewhat green, but I'll be shooting tight.  Other than that, we plan to stay in the pool this weekend.  The only way to beat this heat is to stay wet.  And even then you have to stay submerged to your nose.  We have a big swimming party with friends planned for Sunday.  It will be hot, but the one good thing about a drought is that you can count on the skies to stay clear.  I think that we're all so anxious for rain though, that even if it did rain on our party, we'd all probably just sit in the rain and celebrate.  While admiring our dead grass.