——Andrew Cuomo
I am desperately looking for “beat the heat” suggestions. Whether you believe that our weather is affected by man-made elements or not, everyone is aware of the elevation of average temperatures over the last half dozen years. As a long time resident of South Florida, I am used to hot summers, but this year is bordering on undoable. After a near perfect winter down here, our bodies are rebelling against daily “feels like” temperatures in the 100’s.
Life in this area centers around the outdoors. Even if you aren’t into golfing or tennis, there are so many amazing hiking trails, public beaches and pools that there are few people who opt for indoor activities. Many restaurants have more outdoor seating than indoor seating, and every city is resplendent with neighborhood parks.
Unfortunately, even the outdoor shopping areas have become too hot to deal with during the afternoon sun. Arthur hits the golf course at sun-up here of late, and he still returns sweaty and dehydrated after drinking a large bottle of Gatorade and a several pints of water during what looks to me like four hours of organized torture.
We love museums, but there are just so many times you can gaze at the same pieces during these several brutal months. Last week I got so stir crazy that I asked Arthur to accompany me on a hike through one of the more shaded trails. Apparently the mosquito population is not discouraged with the heat, and after about two minutes of “man -vs- pest” we gave up and ran to the car.
I like an occasional movie but have no desire to sit in a theater every day or so, and I never was a mall shopper. So I ask you fellow readers, what are you doing to keep cool this summer? I feel like there must be indoor activities that I am missing because sitting in the house watching the news is getting more depressing every day.
At least I have my books, and I am reading a terrific one by Ronald H. Balson this week. The Girl From Berlin is another example of an author transporting us to a past time(1930’s, 1940’s) and place (Germany, Italy) and making us believe we are there. The book isn’t due out until October, so I won’t be reviewing it for another month or two, but I will say it is definitely as captivating as his past books that centered around this World War II era.
The book I did review this week, Eat, Pray, Die (An Eat, Pray, Die Humorous Mystery) by Chelsea Field, is quite the opposite in style. While I did not get as involved in the lives of the characters in Field’s book, I found them enjoyable to read about as the heroine, Izzy, attempts to solve her mystery. This is a good summer read.
As always a complete review of this book follows my blog.
Happy reading,
- Beverly