I'll wait until Monday before cancelling Pilates, but I've done the same before in heatwaves, and the Kind Ladies on reception are always very understanding.
I agree with @WormInTheGrass that 40-somethingC is Not Good.
According to the Met Office, it's going to be bubbling around the mid-20s here next week, or Too Hot as I like to call it. Mind you, it also seems to be sans rain, so at least we shouldn't have the awkward combination of "warm enough that you don't need a coat, but wet enough that you do", as we've had for the last wee while.
30 degrees here today and I have achieved very little. This evening we sat outside at dusk, accompanied by Mochi the cat, and watched the bats fly around the garden.
Tea was cooked by Mr Heavenly and was honey and paprika pork escalopes, with a roasted chickpea and courgette salad, with yoghurt dressing. I am now having a rangpur lime gin and tonic.
I don't seem to be able to function beyond the temperature range Priscilla & Piglet prefer.
The foil 'emergency blanket' will be fixed to my bedroom window tomorrow to minimise the effect of the afternoon/evening sun.
It will probably stay in position for the next three months, just to be on the safe side.
Muggy overnight and it rained. Today is dull and so far just 19 degrees - where is the promised Heat Wave?
I surprised my wife with a trip to Birmingham to see an outstanding programme by their Royal Ballet company. I was over-cautious in allowing for train delays and length of performance which meant some hanging around, however we had a lovely meal in Casa Libanais after the show.
Today she has a Safeguarding course at church and I must finish preparing for tomorrow's service. I went swimming first thing although I woke up feeling quite tired.
The Heat Wave appears to be affecting Europe rather more than the UK - it's a good job we left the EU when we did...[irony] We have 90F+ forecast for next week...
Meanwhile, 72F and rising in Arkland the Warm, so I made an Expotition to Tess Coe rather earlier than usual - 10am, before it got too hot - in the hope that the store wouldn't be too busy. Everyone else had had the same idea, of course, and the place was heaving...though I did manage to bag the last Blue Badge parking spot...
Lunch will probably be a ready meal (with Rice) cooked in the popty-ping. There's BEEF STROGANOFF or CHICKEN MADEIRA.
Fortunately my son's house is typical of the area. Well insulated with outside shutters. So we are a nice 24⁰ in here, enjoying the company of our Enkelin. She's just given us a lovely piano recital, she's coming along nicely. 🙂
Things have been mostly caught up with and our son is home for the weekend which is nice. I still have some speeches to write but I hope to find the time to do that when son goes home on Monday.
We had some rain this morning, and though it is warm it is also overcast and muggy.
I took son to a talk about Keir Starmer and the Labour Party this afternoon. we organised it ages ago and it was just luck it happend two days after the Makerfield by-election. I thought we might get lots of extra people, we didn't but it was interesting and we had enough people to make it worthwhile.
I can't believe the Enkelin is big enough to be playing the piano; it seems like five minutes ago she was a brand new granddaughter!
It's been a glorious day in West Lothian the Rather Nice, which was a Good Thing, as it coincided with the Children's Gala, and they had their parade in beautiful sunshine.
I had a little amble along the street afterwards and bought a couple of pairs of cropped trousers, so we may expect an Arctic blast forthwith.*
There's a STEAK marinating for supper, which will be joined by potato salad and veggies and helped down by some red WINE.
* actually, the forecast for the next week is rather warm.
A very enjoyable day of singing in a church with a comfortable temperature.
Just eaten a ready meal as I couldn’t be bothered to cook. Tomorrow I have been invited to my son’s for a Father’s Day lunch. He is the chief cook normally so I don’t know what we will get. I’m guessing he will look after the roast but his wife will see to everything else.
Grey here with occasional spots of rain, and 25 degrees. Mr Heavenly finished the decking and it looks very impressive. I can now sit in front of my office and pretend I am one of the Waltons. While he was busy working away I pottered around doing the laundry, weeding the pots, feeding the birds, etc.
A good day for eating. For lunch I made fresh baguettes with mashed avocado, iberico ham and fried egg. And for tea Mr Heavenly made fried monkfish medallions with tiny French fries, served with a side salad with mint and lemon dressing. This was followed by homemade blackberry and custard ice cream. I am now relaxing with a lemon beer.
Proper Afternoon Tea, a retirement present to Mrs Sioni. Everything was good apart from the Battenberg cake which was coated with fondant icing instead of marzipan!
Brought scones, jam and cream home, but not quite warm enough for Pimms on the Patio.
Overcast all morning with faint attempts at drizzling. Not wet enough to bother getting the washing back in. No sun until this afternoon, so nothing to warm up the living room, consequently quite chilly sitting indoors
Did a bit of tidying up in the garden - mostly cutting out the seeding stems of the aquilegia, which is taking excessive advantage of my new policy of letting flowers self-seed and is crowding everything else out.
West-facing bedroom window now foiled, in the hope of getting some sleep during the promised/threatened heatwave, when it arrives.
Lunch today was mushrooms on toast, and dinner was a panzanella using the deliberately staled remains of a walnut loaf, and topped with some herb-seasoned, toasted Spanish almonds.
Another hot day in Arkland the Scorched - 78F - with a forecast for 90F+ on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday next week...
There may be storms on Tuesday, with Blunder and Frightening, so They say.
I have a little electric fan in the saloon of the Ark, which helps to keep me from swealing away, but I won't be functioning very well over the next few days.
I think it's forecast to be 37°C this afternoon, and hotter again tomorrow and Tuesday. We went to church this morning, but won't be doing much other than cowering inside for the rest of the day.
ETA @Boogie isn't that meal a bit hefty for the temperatures? Or are Germans made of stronger stuff?
Another lovely day here: 19° and mostly sunny, so I went for a little amble beside the loch after church.
Must go and attend to the laundry - I want to get it out of the way, as there's a chamber choir singing Rachmaninoff's Vespers in St Michael's Church at 4:00, and I'd quite like to hear that.
We've been out this morning doing a recce for a walk we're leading for the Ramblers next week. Rain was threatened and the clouds were very black but we managed to complete it without getting wet. 28° is forecast for Wednesday. If it looks like it'll be any hotter than that we may cancel as there is a long stretch with very little shade.
Husband and son are having afternoon naps, and I'm trying to get my brain in gear to catch up with various things.
After church we went down town for the Tafwyl Welsh music and culture festival. Took one look at the queue to get in and cried off. Had a superb meal in a Turkish restaurant then came home.
Mr Nen was away on a kind of retreat in Wales this weekend and was able to drop me in the Town Where We Used To Live, where I've spent a delightful couple of days staying with a friend and catching up with lots of others over lunches and coffees. This morning we (friend and I) went to church and sat next to each other as we used to when we lived there, me taking notes on the songs and the sermon in order to report back to the relevant Ecclesiantics threads here. When I got out my pen and paper in order to do that she threw her arms round me with the comment, "Oh, Nen - this is just like old times!"
Back to an Extremely Hot House and with the prospect of More Heat to come I need to think about Survival Strategies.
My friend having kindly fed both me and Mr Nen (when he arrived to pick me up) at lunchtime it is a No Cooking For Nen night.
A lazy morning then over to my son’s for lunch at 2pm prawn cocktail, roast lamb with all the usual veg, lemon sponge or chocolate pear pudding. Six hours later I am still not hungry.
Nice to see the grandsons plus girl friends, and their other grandparents including my ex and his wife.
I left at 4.15 to drive back to choir practice then Evensong, where choir exceeded the congregation 8:4. At the last minute I volunteered to read the second lesson as the appointed reader had not turned up. No time to prepare but it was faultless. One of my few skills.
Nothing particular on my agenda tomorrow, car MOT and service on Tuesday, Scrabble Wednesday which I am dreading in the heat. A friend has asked to meet up this week but I prefer to stay home and try to keep cool.
That sounds lovely, Nenya.
I’m rather jealous of the lemon sponge and/or chocolate pear pudding, Puzzler. I seldom make puddings as that is Mr Heavenly’s territory but perhaps I should make something this week.
High of 28 here, currently 22. Too hot to do anything but we’ve managed to spend the whole afternoon planning and ordering planter and trellis to hide my office air source heat pump. Church this evening, with the usual pizza afterwards.
Tomorrow I’m back in the office where I need to write something for a research project. Mr Heavenly may join me in my office this week as it has air conditioning (via said heat pump).
I'm very glad I went to hear the Rachmaninov - it was beautifully sung, and reminded me that I have actually sung more of it than I thought I had! I knew I'd sung Bogoroditse Devo*, but a few of the other movements were very familiar too.
* or the Bog Song, as the Belfast choristers called it ...
Lemon chicken from the Bamboo Inn for supper.
I managed to do a few of the things on my to do list. Goodness knows why I offered to organise a rota for an event at our local book festival in July but I think I've got it covered now.
It's now forecast to be in the 30s for Wednesday's walk. I think I need to check if there is a temperature at which we need to cancel. My husband thinks we should do it anyway as people will drop out if its too hot for them, but he's a lizard who thrives in those sort of temperatures and I'm more on the @Piglet scale when it comes to heat.
The Antiques Road Show should be fun @Priscilla. I don't think I have anything that could be called an antique apart from a pair of Staffordshire Dogs, which are lovely but even though they are originals I doubt they are worth much and aren't exactly rare.
A cooler day in Arkland the Balmy - only 73F, with an easterly breeze - but forecast to rise to 91F tomorrow and 100F ( ) on Wednesday.
I've cancelled my Tuesday Pilates session, and went to Tess Coe this morning to stock up on Cold Meat, Salad, Potato Salad etc. etc. to last through the Days Of Doom without me having to go out again.
The next Job to be done is the Topping-Up Of The Water Tank (on the aft deck of the Ark) which supplies the domestic plumbing in the galley and bathroom.
Lunch is BEEF STROGANOFF (because use-by date), which takes 5 minutes in the popty-ping.
Take care, those of you in the Hell Zone - most of southern England, AFAICT.
Bloody Nora it's hot. It was already 28° at 8 o'clock in the morning, and I think it's heading for 40° before the day's out.
Captain P's school is open, but for today and tomorrow they've left it up to parents to decide whether to take them or not. I decided not. We went and did the grocery shopping this morning. I took a cool bag for the fresh stuff (butter, ham, yogurt...) but it was seriously heavy to lug home. After that we went and sploshed around in the swimming pool for a bit. I think it was the right time to go, because by this afternoon the queues are going to be miles long.
We are now home and back to sitting indoors hiding from the heat.
I had a lovely morning handing out certificates to students at a local college. It was encouraging that many of them have jobs to go. This afternoon I have a hygienists appointment and then late on we're heading to a friend's house for a house warming garden party.
After a bit of a behind the scenes chat we've cancelled Wednesdays walk. Walking in 32° heat with very little shade isn't something to do for fun.
The heat warnings have got worse. At first it was for Monday and Tuesday, then it elongated to Wednesday and Thursday as well, and the temperatures went up, 38? So we cancelled going away, not much fun driving.
The u3a group I run on Wednesdays is held in a room which at the best of times is very hot. So far only one person has told me they are not coming this week, as they have breathing difficulties. I normally walk there but will be catching the bus this week- that is if I don’t decide to cancel it.
My lovely daughter came and weeded the patio this morning. Most of it was in the shade at that time.
My youngest son and his girlfriend have visited a cat cafe in York which is run by a cat rescue organisation.
A little bit of work this morning (writing a survey for a research group) then an afternoon of sewing (quilted Christmas table mats). Temperature today was 28 degrees but it looks like we might get rain this evening.
Tea was chicken green tikka, followed by chocolate and hazelnut pudding.
After a mild, cloudy day, the sun's starting to poke through a bit, and it's a pleasant 19°. Unfortunately, it's not going below 15° overnight, and tomorrow it's going up to 26°, which is Far Too Bloody Hot. 🔥
I realise that it's quite balmy compared with what some of you are getting, but for this hyperborean piglet it's outside the comfort zone!
Supper was prawn and veggie orzotto, as I reckon it's probably the last day for a while that I'll want to cook. Like BF, I've stocked up on cold meat, quiche and salads for the next few days.
Outside at the garden party tonight wasn't as warm as I thought it might be, but it was very pleasant anyway. There is a high chance of rain in a bit, but so far we haven't had any.
I made a big pot of pork and parsnip casserole tonight, described as "perfect for cold winter nights." It actually feels chilly here; I think we had a top temperature of 15 or 16, but it's overcast and we've had showers on and off all day. We had 1/3 of the casserole tonight, and I'm freezing the rest, so that's two future dinners sorted.
Our redcurrants are ripening and I saw a couple of starlings helping themselves. If it stays dry I'm going to go out and pick some.
Watered various bits of the garden first thing (tomatoes and clematis in pots and a select few favourite herbaceous flowers), then hid indoors for the rest of the day.
I did pop out into the oppressive heat to hang some bedding on the line at lunchtime, and was pleased to get back inside to the coolness of the house - then checked the hall thermometer, which read 24C.
Normally I would be wilting and complaining at that temperature - it's all relative!
We had a spectacular thunderstorm yesterday evening and quite a long period of rain, which was lovely. I had already watered the front garden, but given how dry everything is the gardens need all the help they can get.
I'm about to fling all doors and windows open to let some cool air into the house and to get the first of several loads of washing on the line. Then I intend to hole up here and sort out some of my boxes and some books for the book stall at the village fete this coming Saturday. We've been moved for over three months now and still have far too many boxes.
Between 06:00 and 06:15 we had thunder, rain and hail.
Curtains and windows currently open to give the overnight heat indoors to dissipate, but are about to be shut on the east & south side. The temperature is already building and is due to become very uncomfortable before long.
Comments
I'll wait until Monday before cancelling Pilates, but I've done the same before in heatwaves, and the Kind Ladies on reception are always very understanding.
I agree with @WormInTheGrass that 40-somethingC is Not Good.
That looks very much like Optimum Piglet Temperature™.
F&C has been consumed, because Friday.
Tea was cooked by Mr Heavenly and was honey and paprika pork escalopes, with a roasted chickpea and courgette salad, with yoghurt dressing. I am now having a rangpur lime gin and tonic.
The foil 'emergency blanket' will be fixed to my bedroom window tomorrow to minimise the effect of the afternoon/evening sun.
It will probably stay in position for the next three months, just to be on the safe side.
I surprised my wife with a trip to Birmingham to see an outstanding programme by their Royal Ballet company. I was over-cautious in allowing for train delays and length of performance which meant some hanging around, however we had a lovely meal in Casa Libanais after the show.
Today she has a Safeguarding course at church and I must finish preparing for tomorrow's service. I went swimming first thing although I woke up feeling quite tired.
Meanwhile, 72F and rising in Arkland the Warm, so I made an Expotition to Tess Coe rather earlier than usual - 10am, before it got too hot - in the hope that the store wouldn't be too busy. Everyone else had had the same idea, of course, and the place was heaving...though I did manage to bag the last Blue Badge parking spot...
Lunch will probably be a ready meal (with Rice) cooked in the popty-ping. There's BEEF STROGANOFF or CHICKEN MADEIRA.
Fortunately my son's house is typical of the area. Well insulated with outside shutters. So we are a nice 24⁰ in here, enjoying the company of our Enkelin. She's just given us a lovely piano recital, she's coming along nicely. 🙂
We had some rain this morning, and though it is warm it is also overcast and muggy.
I took son to a talk about Keir Starmer and the Labour Party this afternoon. we organised it ages ago and it was just luck it happend two days after the Makerfield by-election. I thought we might get lots of extra people, we didn't but it was interesting and we had enough people to make it worthwhile.
It's been a glorious day in West Lothian the Rather Nice, which was a Good Thing, as it coincided with the Children's Gala, and they had their parade in beautiful sunshine.
I had a little amble along the street afterwards and bought a couple of pairs of cropped trousers, so we may expect an Arctic blast forthwith.*
There's a STEAK marinating for supper, which will be joined by potato salad and veggies and helped down by some red WINE.
* actually, the forecast for the next week is rather warm.
Just eaten a ready meal as I couldn’t be bothered to cook. Tomorrow I have been invited to my son’s for a Father’s Day lunch. He is the chief cook normally so I don’t know what we will get. I’m guessing he will look after the roast but his wife will see to everything else.
A good day for eating. For lunch I made fresh baguettes with mashed avocado, iberico ham and fried egg. And for tea Mr Heavenly made fried monkfish medallions with tiny French fries, served with a side salad with mint and lemon dressing. This was followed by homemade blackberry and custard ice cream. I am now relaxing with a lemon beer.
Brought scones, jam and cream home, but not quite warm enough for Pimms on the Patio.
Did a bit of tidying up in the garden - mostly cutting out the seeding stems of the aquilegia, which is taking excessive advantage of my new policy of letting flowers self-seed and is crowding everything else out.
West-facing bedroom window now foiled, in the hope of getting some sleep during the promised/threatened heatwave, when it arrives.
Lunch today was mushrooms on toast, and dinner was a panzanella using the deliberately staled remains of a walnut loaf, and topped with some herb-seasoned, toasted Spanish almonds.
There may be storms on Tuesday, with Blunder and Frightening, so They say.
I have a little electric fan in the saloon of the Ark, which helps to keep me from swealing away, but I won't be functioning very well over the next few days.
We are on Enkelin duty so have been playing board games in the cool front room.
We are due to come home to ☀️ ☀️ ☀️ on Thursday - so I've ordered a big tower fan to arrive that day.
Mr Boogs is now making lunch. Schupfnudeln (A cross between pasta and mashed potatoes) and sausages.
ETA @Boogie isn't that meal a bit hefty for the temperatures? Or are Germans made of stronger stuff?
Must go and attend to the laundry - I want to get it out of the way, as there's a chamber choir singing Rachmaninoff's Vespers in St Michael's Church at 4:00, and I'd quite like to hear that.
Husband and son are having afternoon naps, and I'm trying to get my brain in gear to catch up with various things.
Back to an Extremely Hot House and with the prospect of More Heat to come
My friend having kindly fed both me and Mr Nen (when he arrived to pick me up) at lunchtime it is a No Cooking For Nen night.
Nice to see the grandsons plus girl friends, and their other grandparents including my ex and his wife.
I left at 4.15 to drive back to choir practice then Evensong, where choir exceeded the congregation 8:4. At the last minute I volunteered to read the second lesson as the appointed reader had not turned up. No time to prepare but it was faultless. One of my few skills.
Nothing particular on my agenda tomorrow, car MOT and service on Tuesday, Scrabble Wednesday which I am dreading in the heat. A friend has asked to meet up this week but I prefer to stay home and try to keep cool.
I’m rather jealous of the lemon sponge and/or chocolate pear pudding, Puzzler. I seldom make puddings as that is Mr Heavenly’s territory but perhaps I should make something this week.
High of 28 here, currently 22. Too hot to do anything but we’ve managed to spend the whole afternoon planning and ordering planter and trellis to hide my office air source heat pump. Church this evening, with the usual pizza afterwards.
Tomorrow I’m back in the office where I need to write something for a research project. Mr Heavenly may join me in my office this week as it has air conditioning (via said heat pump).
* or the Bog Song, as the Belfast choristers called it ...
Lemon chicken from the Bamboo Inn for supper.
Guess which we enjoyed the most?
It's now forecast to be in the 30s for Wednesday's walk. I think I need to check if there is a temperature at which we need to cancel. My husband thinks we should do it anyway as people will drop out if its too hot for them, but he's a lizard who thrives in those sort of temperatures and I'm more on the @Piglet scale when it comes to heat.
The Antiques Road Show should be fun @Priscilla. I don't think I have anything that could be called an antique apart from a pair of Staffordshire Dogs, which are lovely but even though they are originals I doubt they are worth much and aren't exactly rare.
I've cancelled my Tuesday Pilates session, and went to Tess Coe this morning to stock up on Cold Meat, Salad, Potato Salad etc. etc. to last through the Days Of Doom without me having to go out again.
The next Job to be done is the Topping-Up Of The Water Tank (on the aft deck of the Ark) which supplies the domestic plumbing in the galley and bathroom.
Lunch is BEEF STROGANOFF (because use-by date), which takes 5 minutes in the popty-ping.
Take care, those of you in the Hell Zone - most of southern England, AFAICT.
Captain P's school is open, but for today and tomorrow they've left it up to parents to decide whether to take them or not. I decided not. We went and did the grocery shopping this morning. I took a cool bag for the fresh stuff (butter, ham, yogurt...) but it was seriously heavy to lug home. After that we went and sploshed around in the swimming pool for a bit. I think it was the right time to go, because by this afternoon the queues are going to be miles long.
We are now home and back to sitting indoors hiding from the heat.
After a bit of a behind the scenes chat we've cancelled Wednesdays walk. Walking in 32° heat with very little shade isn't something to do for fun.
My lovely daughter came and weeded the patio this morning. Most of it was in the shade at that time.
Same here. No possibility of Pimms on the patio tonight.
Mrs BT had a G&T (indoors) at about 4.30pm. We don't have any Pimms ...
Yippee! 🐈
A little bit of work this morning (writing a survey for a research group) then an afternoon of sewing (quilted Christmas table mats). Temperature today was 28 degrees but it looks like we might get rain this evening.
Tea was chicken green tikka, followed by chocolate and hazelnut pudding.
I realise that it's quite balmy compared with what some of you are getting, but for this hyperborean piglet it's outside the comfort zone!
Supper was prawn and veggie orzotto, as I reckon it's probably the last day for a while that I'll want to cook. Like BF, I've stocked up on cold meat, quiche and salads for the next few days.
Our redcurrants are ripening and I saw a couple of starlings helping themselves. If it stays dry I'm going to go out and pick some.
I did pop out into the oppressive heat to hang some bedding on the line at lunchtime, and was pleased to get back inside to the coolness of the house - then checked the hall thermometer, which read 24C.
Normally I would be wilting and complaining at that temperature - it's all relative!
I'm about to fling all doors and windows open to let some cool air into the house and to get the first of several loads of washing on the line. Then I intend to hole up here and sort out some of my boxes and some books for the book stall at the village fete this coming Saturday. We've been moved for over three months now and still have far too many boxes.
Curtains and windows currently open to give the overnight heat indoors to dissipate, but are about to be shut on the east & south side. The temperature is already building and is due to become very uncomfortable before long.