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| 15 July (from my balcony, shortly before sunset) |
Even here in Sweden we now seem to be in the grip of the European heat wave, with temperatures up around 29-30'C (85'F) in the afternoon - and even hotter in direct sunlight, of course. (I put a thermometer out on my balcony for a while in the afternoon today and it went up to around 40'C/104'F...) So just now, between noon and sunset, the best alternative is to keep balcony doors and windows shut, and all blinds and curtains drawn - and fans going in every room. (No I don't have A/C. Very few Swedish homes do, and especially not rental apartments. In general, our houses are built to keep heat in, not to let it out.)
I find the heat very tiring, so have had to cut my walks very short the past few days. And my sleeping pattern is even more upside down than usual, as I've also fallen into "siesta" habits (i.e. sleeping in the afternoon). Sometimes for much longer than intended, and even making it hard to recall what day (or time of day) it is when I wake up again!
Below are some more evening "skywatch" photos from my own balcony |
| 14 July |
The last three were all taken within the same minute last night (18 July), close to sunset.
Linking to Skywatch Friday
The heat sounds truly relentless, but your evening skywatch photos must offer a peaceful contrast, an elegant way to reclaim a sense of calm amid the swelter
ReplyDeleteRo, you are not wrong in that surmise! :)
DeleteBeautiful photos. I agree the heat is very tiring. The heat index has been so high, with no breeze to counter it.
ReplyDeleteSame here just now, Jocelyn. No wind.
DeleteThe last one is my favorite. Hard to believe they were all taken at the same time. But I know that a sunset can change so fast!
ReplyDeleteGinny, I had to double check the time stamps on those photos myself when doing the post!
DeleteWonderful skies!
ReplyDeleteHere, I can not keep windows and blinds open until noon; in my kitchen (facing east) I have to shut the sun out by 7:00 am, or the room heats up too much. The south-facing bedroom and living room are shut against the sun by 8:00 or a little later. My Third Room / study, where I sit when working from home, is the coolest room, facing north. But when it gets to 30C and more, it warms up in the afternoon, too.
When possible, I like an afternoon nap, but I find that I need to get up again after 20-30 minutes, or I will be dazed for the rest of the afternoon.
Meike, most of my afternoon "naps" have been unintentional, so therefore no timer set! (lol)
DeleteFabulous photographs. The first sky looks very angry, but the last one is magnificent, a kind of metaphor for hope overcoming doom.
ReplyDeleteJanice, there were some serious fights between weather systems in the sky before the heat wave won the battle... ;-)
ReplyDeleteDramatic clouds friend! That last one is so fluffy and perhaps a bit like heaven is. Temperature here about 70 degrees F, I don't have or need air conditioning here either in my area of California. Keep cool.
ReplyDeleteEasier said than done at the moment, Terra! We may be getting some rain this week but to what effect remains to be seen...
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