Today is the summer solstice, that time of year that marks the longest days of the year. When the sunlight is so bright it can burn you in moments,

It is also projected to be as hot as balls here in North Carolina. Currently it is 84 degrees in my town. It is projected to go up to 91 degrees.

But it’s not the heat, it is the humidity. Currently it is 56% humidity. Yesterday was delightful with very low humidity (in the 40s) and a milder temperature in the low eighties.

The United States is currently under the threat of a heat dome and the temperatures are expected to go soaring, often over 100 degrees. This is from Las Vegas to Maine, which is admittedly most of the country.

Where I live today (Saturday) and Sunday are projected to be the coolest for a week. This just means that I have to get up extra early to bake on Thursday. I have also been taking measures inside the house to shield us from the worst of it. This includes double curtaining the window in the office that gets the bulk of the morning sun and in the master bathroom which gets the bulk of the afternoon sun and hanging curtains in other rooms. I even went so far as to put removable privacy film on the side light of the front door. This little four inch window blasts in the morning sun as well and I am considering putting the same on the screened door because you can feel the heat radiating from the black front door when you go down the stairs in the morning.

Another place the afternoon sun sneaks into is the screened porch and therefore the living room windows. I have put 6 feet by 6 feet bamboo shades in the screened porch to decrease the sun exposure.

I have also put out iced water for the wildlife because there are squirrels and chipmunks in the front yard and they look hot. Also for the free roaming felines that my neighbors let explore.

But, Kate, how does any of that relate to the today’s title?

Well, I’ll tell you.

For the next several days all outside work should be done early morning or late afternoon/evening. People who have to be outside during the heat of the day should make plans to wear appropriate clothing, sunscreen, and/or hats and be hydrated.

This means don’t mow the lawn at high noon, neighbor that lives 2 doors down. I saw you! I hope you drank all the water when you went in, red faced from the sun. Next time wear a hat!

A normal person, fresh off the semester, would look at this and say “I get to stay in and watch all my favorite shows?” Yes, but, screens are not the only way to pass the time.

Take a nap. Clean the pantry. Heck, make decorating plans for Halloween.

What am I going to be doing? I say it is a perfect time to dust off the TBR pile and dive into reading. After all, the summer reading isn’t going to read itself.

But I am sooooooooooooooooooo tired of mandatory reading for school. Yes, but the semester ended weeks ago and the Fall semester doesn’t start for weeks and weeks. Now you get to read whatever you want. Also known as the book recommendations you’ve been getting from family and friends that you’ve just put on the back burner because who has time to read with tests and papers, oh, my.

You, you have time in this exact moment of the summer to read while it is too hot.

You also have time to read while it is not too hot.

Just saying.

And if you don’t have any books besides textbooks the local library would be very happy to help you out. There is even an e-book option that isn’t Kindle. Not that there is anything wrong with Kindle. It is good to have options. Also do not discount the audio book if that is your jam.

I am reading The Life of Chuck by Stephen King. The movie was great and I wanted to go a little deeper into it.

I also am re-reading Lock In by John Scalzi. This is about a locked in syndrome that affected a percentage of the population and the extraordinary efforts science and politics made to get their consciousness movable in metal suits. This was a great book, I hope I still like it. This is before I get his newest book When the Moon Hits Your Eye for vacation in July.

Stay inside, drink lots of water/iced tea to keep yourself hydrated, avoid being out in the heat of the day. This makes my little introvert heart happy.