Everything sublime is as difficult as it is rare. Baruch Spinoza

Saturday, June 21, 2025

Hot

The first day of summer. The end of the peonies. I have somewhere around 20 peony bushes and didn't get any in a vase until yesterday. These two varieties bloom last of all the others so they survived the fierce storm from a week or so ago. The only thing I don't like about peonies is the short blooming season.



Matthew came for a visit yesterday, bringing lunch. It was a pleasant afternoon and we do enjoy the company. The company was pleasant but the heat and humidity outside was stifling. Today and tomorrow will be worse. I spent the afternoon with a fan and an audiobook. Wise choice.  I also spent time prepping a cold pasta salad for dinner. 


Today will be low-key, with the heat index in the triple digits. Equines will stay in the barn, which is an old Dutch style, high rounded roof, set down into a hillside. It stays much cooler than the outside temperature. The horses are old and the heat and humidity is hard on them. They will likely stay in tomorrow as it will be a repeat of today. They are barn babies.

I saw that the east coast is in for some storms. Stay safe east coast pals.

31 comments:

Anvilcloud said...

Our big heat event begins tomorrow. I think this one will only last for a few days.

Miss Merry said...

Hot is exactly the word for the day. It is steamy here in Ohio.

Rita said...

A raging thunderstorm came cracking through around midnight last night with lightning like a giant strobe light. Turns out three people are dead in North Dakota. Was tornados. And now today there are flash flood warnings today on the Red River. Supposed to hit low 90s today and tomorrow but then be back in the 70s. Mother Nature sure can keep us on our toes. I imagine the horses would be happier in the barn for the weekend. Going to be sweltering. :)

Lori Skoog said...

Love peonies too. Your heat will arrive here tomorrow and I am not looking forward to a heat index over 100. May have to put our horses inside too. UUmmmmm. Pasta salad. Great idea!

CheerfulMonk said...

I'm glad you have a cool place for your horses. Stay safe and as cool as you can.

Boud said...

Peonies are lovely and way too short to bloom. The scent is wonderful. I hope the horses manage in the barn.

Far Side of Fifty said...

They say we had a hurricane up here that split into two storms before it hit us here in East Grand Forks, no damage at home, but many people without electricity and trees oh houses and cars. Stay cool however you can!

Pixie said...

We were away for a few days and I came home to see my peonies had bloomed. They are so pretty, even if the blooms are so short lived.

Anonymous said...

The flowers are breathtaking. They look so elegant in your house surrounded by beautiful objects. The bust of the horse is beautiful.
Stay Safe,
Kaye

peppylady (Dora) said...

I do like peonies, although I don't have any.

Val Ewing said...

Beautiful flowers! Yes, the peonies were awesome this year.

As for the mules, they will go to a place deep in the woods and hang out in the cool shade under the trees. They may choose to go to the higher spot and stand under the box elder and catch a breeze.
We had some pretty hefty winds today.
I washed our porch ceiling and wall. Nice way to stay cool on a hot day.

DeniseinVA said...

Gorgeous flowers! The equines must appreciate being taken out of the hot humid sun. We experienced our first hot humid day a couple of days ago and I stayed inside today. Your pasta dish looked yummy and very appetizing.

nick said...

Temperatures in the US look alarmingly high. In the forties in some places, I see. A cold pasta salad is just what's needed.

Sandra said...

This is the last day of this oppressive heat, AC. Not my cuppa.

Sandra said...

We reached 99 yesterday with a heat index of 107, Rita. Awful. The Red River has areas where there shouldn't be anything built along it. As long as they have hay and water all is good.

Sandra said...

I really don't like this, Miss Merry!

Sandra said...

I'm sorry for sending this miserable weather you're way, Lori. Your horses live in suites, I don't think they will mind being inside at all.

Sandra said...

I turned the relic of an AC unit on, Cheerful.

Sandra said...

Frieda sticks her nose into the flowers so I think she agrees about the scent, Boud!

Sandra said...

Woah! That sounds bad, Far Side, At least it missed you, you certainly did not need anymore stress in your life.

Sandra said...

I just love them, Pixie. I'm running out of places for more!

Sandra said...

The ones in the white vase are spectacular blooms, Kaye. I used to know the names of them all but that has left my brain. That hors bust was a trophy. Shaka took first place in his second show. Quite the guy!

Sandra said...

Oh, you must get at least one, Dora!

Sandra said...

I would have melted right into the porch, Val. We had on and off wind yesterday. I've had problems in the past with high heat and humidity, some of them don't do well. They don't seem to know their ancesters come from a desert!

Sandra said...

We have been experiencing higher humidity and longer stretches of extreme heat for some time now. Summer has changed, nick.

Sandra said...

They do expect their comfort, Denise. The joy of pasta salads is the ease of preparing. No one wants to spend time cooking when it's like this.

Linda's Relaxing Lair said...

Hi Sandra, bless your heart ❤️ The cold 🥶 pasta salad 🥗 is a great idea. 👍

Sandra said...

Thanks, Linda.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Yeah for one more day of forecasted hot temps in New England, who knew? It's 95 degrees at noontime, so odds are we will reach the 100F degree mark today. Your way of spending a hot day indoors with an audio book sounds good to me as does the pasta salad. Thankfully, we have leftovers so only a reheat in the small oven will be needed...another 👍 The peonies look lovely so glad you "rescued" some to enjoy indoors.

Sandra said...

Our weather finally reached you, Dorothy. Sorry bout that. We cooled down yesterday and today is raining. The peonies are down for the season. I do so appreciate leftovers!

The Happy Whisk said...

Is there a way to cool the horses down during the heatwave?