Too Hot to Garden, Almost Too Hot to Write

It’s always something but this week is a lot. So hot and smoky that many of us are trapped inside on days that should be filled with summertime activities such as weeding, watering, and wonder as we tend our gardens. But it’s just too hot to garden.

I am especially sensitive to heat, it may be genetic, a legacy handed down from my red-headed mother. I now can relate to those episodes when she fainted or almost fainted when the Southern California sun proved too much.

However, heat sensitivity is a part of aging for many. As my doctor says, your internal thermometer just doesn’t work as well as grow older. Your sweat glands don’t work as well so you can’t cool off. Senior gardeners should be careful to limit gardening to early morning or late evening hours to avoid dangerous heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

However I’m excited to say I found something that helps me cool down enough I don’t think I’m gonna die if I need to water a few pots or pick something from the garden when the real feel is 107! And it means I can spend longer sitting on the porch writing about gardening, even if I can’t actually do it right now.

I usually ignore those Instagram ads but this one felt like it was talking directly (I guess that’s why they call them targeted) to me. In the past I have recommended and wear those gel-filled bandanas you soak in water then wear around your neck. But they don’t stay cold very long, you have to keep switching them out.

Now I am telling everyone I see ( like our mail carrier) about Dr. Chilly, (I am not being paid) It’s a frozen ring, that you slip around your neck. I bought two so I can keep them on rotation. I’m not sure about how they work or how long they will last but I figure they will get me through the next two months. You get a few hours of cooling depending upon individual conditions. They don’t feel freezing or wet, just a lovely kind of cold for around twenty bucks.

Consider this my public service announcement. ( And make sure to mask up when the smoke is making air unhealthy)

Dr. Chilly helping me chill out on the porch during this horrible heatwave. (It doesn't fix wrinkles)