Bake at 350. Or 112.

If you live anywhere near these parts I don't have to tell you.

For those of you who are far and away: 

IT'S HOT.

No really.  Not your average August Hot, but unbelievably, dangerously, seemingly unending HOT.

We have recorded more than 30 consecutive days of 100 degrees or higher.  And this week?  We've been 108 or higher every day.

As of this writing, we have reached 111 today.

Yeah.

Now, let me tell you, things start to happen when it gets that HOT and stays that HOT.

It's like full moon, sugar high, Christmas Eve, stayed up too late, cabin fever.... combined.

I finally got desperate and last night either had a stroke of genius or a 'duh' moment (we don't have to decide which) and decided we'd go outside first thing today.

Before chores, before breakfast, before school, before anything.

Because that's the cool of the day.  86 degrees at 8am.

I love how you can tell Alan just woke up.

Tyler came up the hard way. I didn't know he could do that!

Only two of us actually ate any breakfast.  The other two hung around like good sports for a few minutes, drinking juice & milk.  Then playtime began!  It was such a joy to see all 3 boys outside! playing! It might have been my imagination, but they seemed to be extra joyful as they went about their play.

All too soon it was already too hot and we retreated inside to the air conditioning.  Which I am extra, extra thankful for these days.  Already slightly wincing at the thought of the electric bill, but "I'll think about that tomorrow."  Or maybe when it isn't 100+ anymore.  Or maybe when it's time to actually pay the thing.

So, we came inside and started preparing for the afternoon like a storm was coming.  Hanging additional blankets over windows, running the washer and dryer and dishwasher to avoid the extra electricity later ('they' are warning of brown-outs and black-outs in the afternoon hours if everyone isn't careful), putting supper in the crock pot.  Because, really, who wants to cook in this!?

I have to say, I'm glad we spent the time outside.  I think it made today much better for all of us!

I'm also glad we didn't lose Tyler down one of the cracks in the backyard.

And to think we lost half our tomato plants in May because the ground was too wet and they got root rot.  Oh the irony.

But not all gardening was a disaster.  Not long after we came inside this morning, Mimi & Gramps showed up with a truckload of watermelons, all from Gramps' garden!  We found out later there were 110!  (That's 110 watermelons, not 110 degrees)  

And since you can't exactly preserve watermelons (and because Gramps just likes being generous that way) they were giving away melons to everyone they could think of.  Us included!

Funny things, these melons.  I don't know how many cows is takes to  make a herd, but I think it takes about 7 watermelons.  A herd is what I think of every time I see them clustered around together.  

They even have migrating habits.  You doubt?  When they arrived, they were deposited right where you see in the pic above.  But throughout the afternoon I kept finding the lot of them grouped up in different places.

It's risky business being in a watermelon herd, though.  By nightfall not one, but two of these melons suffered cracked rinds.  I felt particularly sorrowful over the one whose juices ran across the floor.  

All ended well though, and both busted melons ended up in their rightful places.... eaten!

Breakfast picnics, hibernation, and ice-cold watermelon.  It's a tough life, but we're doing what we can to survive the unbelievable heat. (And since it's taken me all afternoon/evening to write this post, I can tell you it is STILL 100 at 9pm.  Looks like another doozy tomorrow!)

How are you managing to hold up through the August heat?