Emerald State Heat

After a week of 90+ temperatures in a city where 25% of the homes have AC we have finally given the little window coolers a break.  You can almost see them sagging under stress and chanting 'I think I can I think I can.'

We spent every day with a heat strategy plan.  Mud mountain dam followed by Lake Wilderness and absolutely no dishwasher or dryer use.  Running through sprinklers and playing in the backyard pool and TV in front of the cooler.  Popsicles in the morning and Alki Beach for lunch (the car has AC when you get stuck in traffic). Sprinkler park and picnic in the shade topped with more backyard pool and slushies at the Vreekens.

We had hardly any laundry since we spent the day in our swimming suits but what we did wash we dried on the line. At night we showered in cool water and dried (exfoliated) with stiff line-dried towels and drifted off to sleep with the drone of box fans in the windows and the heavy smell of line-dried sheets filling our noses.

Finally at the end of the week Will said to me, "I'm tired of my swimming suit!" and when we got ready for church the next day we were actually grateful for the familiar clouds overhead and the mist settling in on the lawn and frizzing our hair.

Maybe we belong in the Emerald State after all.