Beat the Heat

I don't know what the temperatures are like for the rest of you, but if you're in Southern Ontario at the present time, it is insanely hot. This week, our temperatures are in the thirties, with the humidex making them creep into the forties. I don't know about you, but I don't fare well with heat. I'd rather be too cold than too hot. The way I see it, if it's cold, I can grab a blanket, put on a sweater, or throw another piece of wood in the stove. When it's hot, I can only remove so many layers before I run out, and not feel any better. Also, the heat makes me tired, groggy, borderline miserable, and to top it all off, I get sun burnt much too easily. But, at least I have a few things that can help me beat the heat, and no, it doesn't involve air conditioning. My house doesn't have that.

Yesterday, Allie, our French visitor, and I went over to the Binbrook Conservation Area. Yes, we had to pay a small fee to get in, but given all that's there, it's totally worth it. Our guest and I decided to rent a canoe, and even though we were warm, and the wind was often working against us, having that wind cooled us down significantly. When we were finished, we went into Lake Niapenco, Binbrook's man-made lake, and cooled off. To me, the water was the perfect temperature. Allie and I also decided to take a few moments, be completely childish, and run over to the splash pad. The water there was refreshing as well.

Of course, because it was so hot, we made sure that we stayed hydrated. We brought along a cooler bag with water bottles, and even though we didn't go through all of them, we left the Conservation Area with fewer than we'd arrived with. We also made sure to relax in a shaded area, or at least, I did. What can I say? I'm delicate.

I almost forgot! The other night, we went out to Port Dover for supper. Our guest had never been there, so we took her. After an hour or so, we started back home, and stopped at Hewitt's Dairy Bar on Highway #6 for ice cream. What better way to beat the heat then with Hewitt's? If you've never been, you really must go. You can see the dairy farm in the backyard where they get their milk and cream. The scoops, even for a small cone, are huge, and their waffle cones are fantastic.

Today is set up to be another scorcher. When I checked the temperature at 9:30 this morning, and it was already 27 degrees Celsius with a humidex of 33, I knew it was going to be another day of roasting half to death. So everyone, drink lots, don't forget your sunscreen, keep cool, and maybe go jump in a lake!