Today is one of those pantingly humid Great Lakes summer days. Still, I don't want to even think about how much hotter it could be and will get before very long. There's a bit of a breeze outside, but it somehow doesn't manage to make it through my windows, and the place really heats up in the afternoon. As you can see, I've rigged up a system for maximum shade: a crank down awning that shades the windows, and the market umbrella/table unit that helps shade the concrete. You'd think this would be enough, but it will still get sweltering in a couple of hours. This year the Ontario government has a program of grants to help people upgrade their homes to be more energy-friendly, and I'm going to look into that. I think more and better pink insulation in the attic might be the ticket. Meanwhile, I sit inside at my computer (small corner window under the awning - hi!) with a fan trained on me. There is central air-conditioning in this house, but I want to save it for the really hot dog days. You can also see I have a second market umbrella on the wooden patio, which helps shade the other end of the house, where the bedroom is. I've quit using the patio this summer until some of the rotten boards can be replaced.
If I had a laptop, I could sit outside and work where it's cooler, but alas, I am chained, if not in a tower, to a tower. What a difference a preposition makes. Meanwhile, the lake is making soft ripple sounds along the breakwall rocks, and the martins are swooping about making their own liquid music.
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