Too Hot To Think

For the past few days the temperature here has soared to over 100°F, with the humidity factor not far behind, and the "feels like" factor ten degrees higher. I remember it was hot like this last year from May to July. Then the rains came and although it was steamy, it was bearable because the afternoon rains cooled things down.

One positive note is that we are in the process of painting the swimming pool. It is just sitting there baking in the sun, bright blue and dry, begging to be filled and cooled off. (Or is that me?) Maybe I didn't notice the heat when I could walk outside and jump into the pool to swim, read, write, or just float around with foam noodles. In fact, the pool was so invigorating that lowering my body temperature caused me to forget to drink three liters of water a day. I was so refreshed I ended up dehydrated, and I know better!

We picked a good time to paint the pool. We are in a long dry spell, considering we are in the middle of the rainy (and hurricane) season. It has not rained much since we returned from our trip, a week ago Friday. It is difficult to be sitting here pouring in sweat, with only cold showers to cool off, hoping that it does not rain all week long. Why does pool paint have to dry for a week, anyhow? It sure feels dry.

I feel like I own a boat, having this swimming pool in the back yard. It needs constant love and attention, just like a boat. When it came time to sand and paint the pool, it felt like part of the natural course of things. We didn't complain, we just got out there as soon as the sun was out of direct line of sight and started sweating and sanding, and later sweating and painting. The fact that it is out of commission during the days we would enjoy it most is just one of the sacrifices of having a luxury. I think these days are meant for reflection. Believe me I already appreciate the luxury of having the swimming pool, and I have mentioned it before.

I mostly miss our morning aquatic exercises. By noon, if I have not accomplished things it is certain that nothing will get done until the sun is setting and it cools down. Good thing the Olympics have been on TV, because we have turned into hammock spuds. With three or four fans blasting at you you can just about get comfortably cool in the hammock. It is this time of year that foreigners understand why Yucatecans spend all their time in their hammocks. I can not imagine sitting on a hot sofa; it is challenging at night because the bed is still usually holding in a lot of heat. And so we end up in hammocks again. With three or four fans blasting.

I recently bought a helicopter fan. It is a high powered fan that would literally take off if it were on a stand. It is loud but at least you can breathe. Some of the fans we bought last year have already died. In April when the live wires snapped outside the house and zapped us inside the house, it burned up two surge protectors and two fans. Others have been cheaply made and unsturdy and just had a short floor life. I went out to replace missing fans when the heat wave kicked in, but I was too late. There was one cheap fan at 14 dollars, and the helicopter for 50. I bought them both. The last fans in Mérida. I will learn from this, in November when it cools down and the shipment of fans has finally arrived in the Yucatán, long after the hot season, I will stock up on fans for next summer.