Different ways to beat the heat

In winter you can always turn up the heat or put on more clothing to get warm.
As we have learned over the past two weeks, there really is no easy way to cool down.
We are really fortunate compared to many of our friends south of us.
There comes a certain point where you really can’t take off any more clothing.
Throughout much of the US Midwest, residents have experienced temperatures exceeding 100 F, (38 C) for over 10 days. We may have experienced similar temperatures with the humidex factor. According to the Meteorological Service of Canada, a humidex of 40 causes great discomfort and above 45 is dangerous.
We did experience the over 40 C number, but in the Midwest states; temperatures did not include the humidity factor. If the temperature with humidex reaches 54, a stroke is probable. The heat across the US has been blamed for 74 deaths in the past two weeks. We have not had to deal with those extreme temperatures or deaths from the extreme temperatures.
Driving along Colonization Road East, there were lots of young swimmers swimming off the municipal docks. Pither’s Point Park was busy with families enjoying the beach and waters.
It is a fun and relaxing way to cool off.
Our blessing has been that the evening temperatures have dropped to the low 20’s or upper teens making life much more normal.
And many of us have air conditioning in our homes that permit us to maintain indoor temperatures in a much more comfortable range. We have air-conditioning throughout the newspaper building.
At home, we do not have air-conditioning. We have always relied on fans to move the air inside our house.
Today when I checked our indoor thermometer at 6:30 this morning our home thermometer read 24 C. Outside the temperature was in the mid teens.
My wife and I spent the weekend at the cabin and the westerly breeze, slipped through all the open windows and made sleeping pleasant.
Even the weekend prior, we cooled off in the waters of Rainy Lake that were registering 29 C (82 F). The lake was almost too pleasant.
Jumping into the lake for a quick cool off was fun. The full moon lit the water far past sunset.
We are lucky. Even at -40 we can still be warm. And at plus 40, we can cool off.

–Jim Cumming,
Publisher