Thursday, July 10, 2008

feelin' hot hot hot

It's been hot here this past week. After a cold and wet spring, which fostered no end of complaining from just about everyone, suddenly summer is here: temperatures between 27 and 30ÂșC, lots of sun, high UV index, the wind pushing clouds over the sky. The plants have been taking advantage of all the sun and building more leaves to produce more chlorophyll, so the seedlings I showed you in May are now substantial plants, no denying it.

Farmers across the island are making hay, and Mat and I have been helping a neighbour with his haymaking, Mat more than I. Although, I must say, I definitely hauled and heaved my share of bales the night I helped, and got quite red in the face for my efforts! Not to mention the scratches on my arms. However, I had forgotten how sweet it is to ride back to the barn on top of a swaying wagon piled high with hay bales. And this farm in particular has a gorgeous view of the Bras d'Or lakes, so while I was rocking back and forth with the wagon, which was moving slowly along the field, I was able to take in the view. There was a misty haze fuzzing the lines of the land forms, and an almost-crescent moon jauntily sitting in the sky above. Pretty damn sweet.

A few days ago an older female friend, who I'll just call "M" for privacy's sake, took me to lunch in the village. It was warm, and sunny, and windy. We remarked fairly often on what a beautiful, hot day it was. After lunch, we did a few errands, and were just about to leave the village when M remembered she had to gas up, so we turned quickly into the little gas station there at the entrance. While she was filling up, I glanced across the street and saw some men at work painting an old house. Most of the men were maybe in their mid-fifties and wearing tee shirts, but what caught my eye was the young, incredibly buff man not wearing a shirt at all. He was tanned, and had a smooth, hairless, tattooed and muscled torso, and honestly he looked like some guy in a calender. Now, I'm not saying that's necessarily my type, if I even have a "type", but he was definitely eye-catching. I stared for all I was worth!

M got back in the car, started the ignition, and was about to leave the gas station. I pointed to the men working.

"Look at that guy, look how hot he is!" I said.

M glanced over, then watched traffic, then pulled out.

"Yes," she said absently, "Some people have a much different internal temperature."

"No..." I said, puzzled, "I mean, he was HOT! Like, attractive!"

"Oh!" She said, laughing. "Oh my god, can you tell how long I've been off the market?" (She's been married 35 years.) "I thought you meant, that older fellow who looked like he was really warm!"

So as you can see, no matter what "hot" means to you, Cape Breton's got it!

Blog Archive