AMAZON

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Skipping Spring

Spring Along Louisville's Water Front

If I am not mistaken the offical beginning of Summer is still a week away: the Summer Solstice (here in the Northern Hemisphere) is June 21st. Thus, I should feel as though we are moving toward the end of Spring. But it ain’t so, my friend! At least, here in Louisville, it ain’t so.

A few days ago a drug store clerk said to me, “This year we skipped Spring.” I must agree with here. We had about of week of Spring-like temperatures: highs in the 60s or low 70s (F). For the remainder of Spring 2007 the highs have been in the high 80s and 90s, with the lows never dropping below our normal Spring highs. Combined with the lack of rain we’re experiencing. I have felt as if I am experiencing a foretaste of the fires of Hell.

In a previous post, I wrote of the pollution than can hang over Louisville and the Ohio River Valley. It continues, with pollution warnings and alert being issued for every afternoon, which the temperature reaches its highest. It seems that the only thing that will clear out the pollution and allergens in the air is rain—and none is forecast for at least the next week.

The heat and air pollution have impacted me personally in several ways. With the air conditioning in my house and car being kaput, I have found breathing to be very difficult. Thus, I have spent most of the afternoons using my C-PAP and oxygen compressor. I look forward each morning to when the temperatures reach their lows, which isn’t usually until after 3:00 a.m. That’s when I get up and remove the C-PAP and oxygen compressor mask. I take a couple of puffs on the Combivent inhaler and try to do something, like live. However, by early afternoon, the heat in the house (the temperature in the house at now at 9:00 p.m. is 88 F; outside it is 91 F) is so bad that I climb back in bed, on which I have two fans blowing, and breath using the C-PAP and oxygen compressor.

The heat and pollution have affected Alex’s life style, too. He has been demanding to go out side at night and in the wee hours of the morning, when the temperatures are cooler and the air contamination is less. When I am in bed, he still leaps up beside me and snuggles against my body. I tickle him beneath his chinny chin chin and Alex purrs. However, evidently the heat generated by my body adds to his discomfort. If he is on my left side, which has been the norm since he was a very small kitten, my body blocks the cooling wind of the fans from him. If he moves to my right side, those same winds apparently ruffle his fur too much and so he leaps off the bed to the floor where he curls and sleeps.

If you get the drift of this post, the weather has been damned bad for both man and beast. And Summer hasn’t even officially arrived yet! My own experiences have raised my concern for folks like me with breathing problems who are not blessed with a CPAP and oxygen compressor. I do not know how they are surviving.

This brings twos additional concerns to my mind: air pollution and global warming, which are, from what I have read, intrinsically connected. Perhaps I’ll share my thoughts about those in a later post. Now I need to upload this one and perhaps join Alex outside, where my computer tells me the temperature has dropped to 86 F, which is cooler than inside my house.

16 comments:

  1. I hope your weather improves soon, Nick. Give Alex a scratch for me.

    Hugs,
    Laurie

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  2. that is a beautiful picture. Stay cool!!!

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  3. I keep telling ya, Rev Saint, join me here in the Arizona desert. It may be hotter, but it's a dry heat very unlike what you and Alex have to endure. And, where I am, there isn't the pollution of the cities.

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  4. Poor Alex! I remember my cats (I didn't own them, they owned me...) and the hot summer... I felt so sorry for them - couple of times, I actually seriously considered shaving them, but then their skin would have been unprotected from the rays, and I don't think it would have been much of a favor...

    Keep a lot of water for the poor kitten!

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  5. Maybe you could seal a few ice cubes in a sandwich bag for Alex to snuggle up with.

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  6. I hope the weather gets more comfortable for you and Alex. Summer can be quite uncomfortable, can't it. And there are still a couple more months to go. Do you have airconditioning ??
    Have a wonderful weekend. Give Alex a snuggle for me.
    Take care, Meow

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  7. Nick, sounds like you are doing it hard. We downunder can commiserate on the no rain bit, but I'm sorry you have breathing problems. Not good at all.

    And poor Alex, being all hot and bothered, that's not too good for cats. I'm glad you don't let him outside at night though.

    Hope it rains for you soon.

    Hugs to you and Alex.

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  8. I hope you get some rain to cool off. Take care of you and Alex.

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  9. We are facing the same problems here. I am thinking about relocating to the Arctic.

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  10. I am MELTING in the Florida heat. I need to get out of here!!!!

    -N

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  11. 102 here yesterday afternoon with a 3 hour power outage.

    Ray went through two portable tanks. I was afraid he'd run out.

    We expect more of the same.

    And of course the air quality is awful.

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  12. That's horrible to have to endure, especially when it's not even really summer yet. I'm glad you have the things to help you breathe. My mother always had more trouble breathing in the hot weather.

    We've had warmer than normal temps, too. I've found out how well this house holds heat. Outside it's been in the mid- to upper-80s. Inside it's been in the low- to mid-80s. Ichabod hasn't wanted to put the window air conditioner back in yet. We have no ceiling fans. Thank goodness I have a box fan.

    I hope that weird weather pattern moves out soon and gives us all a little relief!

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  13. I hope you and Alex can find a way to really cool off.

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  14. I'm really thankful that NJ had a nice spring this year...little late coming and this past weeks been a little too cold but nothing too extreme.

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  15. MilkMan has COPD and it's always so bad in the summer. I don't know how you are doing it with no ac Nick. Hoping for some cooler days...

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  16. I know my kitties are all just plopping in one spot all day while it's this hot with no a/c. They only spaz out at night now.

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