We've come home a day early, got here about 10.15, I've unpacked already. The past few days it's just been too hot, for both Betty and I - even having the curtains closed against the sun and all windows and both external doors open and the fan going didn't cool the van down sufficiently. Poor Betty didn't know what to do with herself, she was inside and out constantly, lying down panting continually (I know they do that to try and lower their body temperature and keep cool). For some reason, she won't lie fully on her cool gel mat, she only puts her head on it....she doesn't like me putting a wrung out wet tea towel on her either, she'll tolerate it for about 30 seconds and then stands up and shakes it off. She is sensible enough to keep drinking cold water though, I refresh her bowl every couple of hours. I've tried giving her ice cubes to crunch, she will sometimes crunch them (Jayne I'll try your tip of very diluted chicken stock ice cubes now we're home, I didn't have any at the van). Oddly enough, the van has been hotter this week than last week, when the temperature was allegedly higher - I'm pretty sure it's been higher this week though. Must get a thermometer for the van.
Betty's now zonked out on the sofa, I'm not doing anything much today, this heat and humidity drains me and makes me feel so tired and decidedly unwell. Luckily my bedroom doesn't get the sun until evening, so stays relatively cool, think I'll be having a lie down this afternoon. We've got the possibility of thunderstorms later, hopefully that might cool things down a bit and freshen the air. It'll be nice to sleep in a big airy cool bedroom tonight, on a big bed giving both Betty and I plenty of room (although she does tend to start off lying on my legs), rather than the small bedroom in the van which is like an airing cupboard in this heat.
The heat definitely dulls my appetite, especially for hot food. I'll just have some fruit for lunch - we bought 2 punnets of Cheddar strawberries yesterday (the Cheddar area is famous for strawberries and is luckily just a short drive from the caravan park). For dinner later I think we'll just have bacon and scrambled egg, husband can do that, I expect he'll want hash browns and beans with his.
We're having at least a fortnight at home now, we've got various things on the calendar for the next couple of weeks.....I'm having my hair cut, Betty's got the groomer's for her bath and nail clipping, husband's going to hospital for his ingrowing toenails to be dealt with, we have a 70th birthday party to go to....there's another couple of things too, which I can't remember off the top of my head.
I remember when we lived in a caravan in my parent's garden. During the heatwave of '76, all the windows and the door open, until the farmer in the field at the back decided to muck spread! I don't know what was worse, the heat or the smell! I hope the thunderstorms do cool things down a bit. Oh, what strange people we are - too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry! xx
ReplyDeleteIt takes us a while to acclimatise, which is impossible when several cool days are immediately followed by some high temperatures. When my son, who lives in temps of 35 + in Turkey, invariably goes around in warm clothing when he visits me while the rest of the UK is sweltering in skimpy cotton tops, etc.
ReplyDeleteI hope the real hot days turn to cooler nights for you very soon. I know what staying in a caravan (here we call them trailers..park models) when it is hot is like. Last time it melted my candles.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.