not normal, get used to it, they say

We wait all year for sunshine. We live in the dark for months. Be careful what you wish for, they say. Temperatures soared, opening the front door was like sticking pop overs into a pre heated oven- you know how hot the oven must be for pop overs- about a million degrees.  When Dennis was getting a new heating system for this abode he wisely included air conditioning, thinking that we might  never use it but just in case- His "Just in case" paid off.

Cubby and his humans went to a hotel for a couple of days and left their house to fry.

You have read about Portland no doubt- the hottest place on the planet yesterday- THE HOTTEST PLACE ON THE PLANET!!! We were thinking it would be Ok because we sent air conditioners down with the lad when he was here to pick up  the CRV.  We  also felt secure knowing that he could jump in the CRV and come up to a cooler house if he needed to.

The power went out in Portland- meth heads stole his catalytic converter over night....There is no such thing as  security in this world, no matter how well you might think you have prepared. . He did work on one of the hottest days, kilns firing, heavy lifting, no air conditioning, no air.  Yesterday was the worst of it, temperatures reaching 112- east of the mountains it was 120. We have crossed the river Styx. 

Growing whiskers instead of what should be tomatoes by now. The sun freaked everything into a fried stupor.

Lettuce, obeying the sun.

Refreshing blues in shade, backing away from the sunny deck, Gimme shelter!

Dennis bought tulips at cost co. They are perfect and totally match the print that Stella gave me.

Inside the house it is tolerable, I can not complain. Though I will say that when the sun blasted out of the sky today it was not a friendly sun- it was an eff you sun!

The intense sun going down left ,with  the same attitude- eff you some more- trying to light our house on fire. 

 After dark, when it had cooled to 1,000 degrees, I finally checked our metal -hot-as-an iron-poker- mail box. Sent from Russia for the twins, scruffy cloud  bear resembling our usual sky, dark  grey and soft, roasted all day in that oven box.  Now that he has arrived  something else must leave, that is my rule lately, maybe....  anyway I successfully got a box load for the Assistance League ready to go.  Been watching "Hoarders" just to reenforce my commitment. 

Since we dumped just about everything except blog world and Etsy, I have been looking for freebees online. Amazon Prime offers an abundance of watchables. "Hoarder' being one, Flea Bag and other worthy programs. I watched a very quiet film last night as well , IDA, VERY quiet - poignant.  It is black and white ,  compositions of light / shadow are stunning, the story most compelling about a girl taken to a nunnery catholic priestly orphanage when she was an infant. She knew of no other life until a surprise showed up. her aunt was still alive , everyone else had died in the holocaust, though Ida knew nothing of them  or from where she came. Then the life lessons and adventures began ! It ends well with  profound resolve. 

Bear, twins, both look in a state of shock. They might settle down now that the heat dome has shifted a bit farther east.