What’s in the ground:

I’ve not even had a chance to test out the new rain water catching system because it has stopped raining. This heat wave is brutal. And just as important it is for you to keep in the shade, drink plenty of water and take it easy, so goes it for your garden. Now is the time to set up shade cloth over your plants during the intensity of the day and take it off to let them cool at night. Water everyday, even once in the morning and once at night, also make sure your garden is well mulched so the water doesn’t evaporate. And last but not least, take it easy on your plants. Do light harvesting, light cultivating and light weeding. Don’t disturb them too much in this heat.

What’s going on in sustainability:

It’s too hot to sit at this computer and write, plus I don’t want to run it too long in this heat, so I’ll keep it short. As miserable as I am now, I’m actually relishing in putting up with this heat with just a fan and the breeze in my room. These seasonal shifts and your body’s acclimation are all just part of the amazing gift it is to be human. Are bodies and our environments were made for these changes and by embracing them rather than running from them, we can keep the climate on a more even keel so it doesn’t change as drastically as it has. This means that running an air conditioner constantly is not just adding to the energy consumption that is causing global weirding. It’s also taking our bodies away from the natural cycles of the earth, and even further disconnecting us from a natural environment.

So yes, it’s hard to work, and even play, but who knows, maybe your body can use the break and just lounge into the summer sun. You may read this and feel pity for me as I swat drips of sweat away from my key board. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. That sweat is the sweet nectar of sustainability.

Until cooler temperatures come, this is the note from the urban homestead.