NOW IT'S HOT -- NOW IT'S . . . COLD?

I knew it would be hot yesterday (Wednesday, July 23), so we went for a long walk in the morning. By 2:00 p.m. it was 95 and a strong wind was blowing – not one of those lovely cool summer breezes but a hot wind. Regional thunderstorms were predicted.

At 4:00 we decided for an afternoon walk. Yes, it was windy, but still hot. I thought we could beat the storm. We sprayed water on the dogs to keep them cool.

But – at the top of Plank’s Pitch, things changed. Suddenly the wind was blowing fiercely and I felt chilled. I gathered my group and we quickly marched toward home. The force of the wind was frightening. Nellie stayed at my knee and even Bess, who seems to bounce through life, bounded up to me with her tail down and her ears in a question mark. I could hardly wait to get to the low point at the bottom of our lane. And I was right – in the protection of that low place, our fight against the wind was manageable again.

Nellie was right with me until we got to the yard. Then she disappeared like a ghost. One moment she was there, the next she was gone. Storms make her inconsolably nervous and she will hide where she thinks it’s safe. So be it, I said to myself. The young Bess was in the house.

At 5:10, we lost electricity. It was only off for half an hour, but of course, I didn’t know what to expect. I pondered Grandma Ina’s freedom from that worry since her house was never wired. Perhaps she even appreciated the fact that she could manage perfectly well without it.

At 6:00, as the storm abated, I set out to find Nellie. I put on a light jacket – the temperature had dropped 20 degrees in an hour and the wind was cool – and headed toward the pond. I hadn’t gone far when she came out of her hiding place in the grass between the pond and the field. She seemed frightened and I had to coax her to the house. I resolved to ignore her fear and just make the evening appear normal. She eventually ate and then dozed on her pillow.

Bess in the wind

 [The pictures here were taken with our old Nikon P60 – very temperamental now, only coming on when it feels like it. I’m thinking a good staycation prize would be a camera that takes better landscape shots. Yes, that would be a good reward.] KW