Yikes! It's Hot!!

Yes, you read it correctly - 40C or 104F was the high today and it's still 35C according to the local news. I have been hiding indoors all afternoon (went for a swim half an hour ago but only stayed out until I was dry - 5 minutes!

    I went to tennis really early and was on the court by 8:15 but it was already hot. I played three times with long rests in the air-conditioned lounge in between, and was home again by 11:00 a.m. I have to admit to not playing very hard - my main aim was to get each game finished quickly and get off the baking surface of the court as fast as possible. I think everyone else felt the same but there was a surprisingly big turnout with people continuing to arrive even as I left!

    A quick immersion in the pool when I got home helped to bring my body temperature down and I spent most of the afternoon either reading or watching the tennis from Washington D.C. How they play at such an intense level in this heat is beyond me.

   My favourite snack tonight - bruschetta with loads of garlic and parmesan cheese on my homemade baguette  - the tomato was the first one from my tomato plants - and I picked some rhubarb to make a crumble for dessert. I am having a light meal, probably involving mushrooms and eggs, as tomorrow is shopping day and I have things in the fridge to use up. The heat continues!

The Temperature Rises

   I only managed one hour on the tennis court this morning - just too hot! Susan and Paul beat Kathy and me 6-3 although there was some discussion as to the final score. I was just too hot to dispute it so left the court and hurried home for a swim.

    Back on the road by 10:30 to drop in to the Probus meeting where I only stayed long enough to deliver some books, pick up new ones and grab a coffee. Home to prepare lunch for Judy and the grandkids who were dropping by for lunch. They left around 1:00 p.m. and I have just been relaxing in the garden, reading and cooling off in the pool since then. Now I am watching some rather uninspiring tennis from Washington D.C. - no major players in this tournament.

    A light dinner is planned - probably some soup and leftover sandwiches from lunch. I may add a bit of salad just to make sure I get all my nutrients today!

No Urgent Problems

    No news is good news - nothing of any import occurred which, after the last two weeks, is very welcome! Everything in my little universe is working (touch wood) nothing is hanging over my head or in need of my attention.

    They say problems occur in threes and I have had my three - pool leak, A/C problems and a broken garage door opener. The pool is only partially fixed but at least I am not losing water and the water is sparkly clean.

    Beautiful, sunny day and no humidity but I spent most of it indoors at the senior's centre. My fitness classes were interrupted because no one showed up in the morning to tend the coffee bar and I had to hustle to get coffee started. I was there until 2:30 when I decided "enough is enough" and counted the change and closed up shop. I have arranged to switch to mornings for the next few weeks and they will try to get someone for the afternoons which are not quite so busy. Several people are on holiday or at their cottage so Wednesday is not the only day with gaps in volunteer coverage.

    I got home in time to have a swim and relax in the garden, water the plants and finish my current book. Leftovers for dinner so I can relax for the rest of the evening!

Tasty Dinner

     I made cauliflower fritters tonight and they turned out really well - only one fell apart as I was turning it. I had them with a small salmon fillet and a cob of corn so I am well fed and satisfied, mainly because the cauliflower was approaching its "best before" date and I turned it into something tasty and nourishing.

    There are only 4 ingredients, pre-cooked mashed cauliflower, an egg, grated cheese and panko crumbs. I added some Za'tar mix and pepper for a bit of spice. They were easy to form and fried up to a toasty brown in just minutes.

     It has been another gorgeous day and I was in the pool twice - once after tennis and again after filling the bins for garbage pickup tomorrow. I gave the bushes at the front border a haircut (they look so neat now!) so I had four full bins. I also managed to dig up some of the roots of the hedge which died last year. They have very stubbornly refused my efforts to remove them in the past but a bit of muscle today did the trick. Next year I will fill the border with some perennials - hosta or sedum which I already have and of which I can take cuttings next Spring.

   I got another couple of cherry tomatoes from the garden to have with my lunch today. The big tomatoes are turning orange but will still need another few days to ripen properly. Can't wait!