Barbara J. Hamby

We’re Havin’ a Heat Wave

This week is destined to be record breaking in these parts for high temperatures and for the highest low temperatures. In Tigard (just a few miles from us) the high today was 110 degrees—unheard of in the past. I think we were somewhere in the range of 105 to 107 on our front porch. I drove to a nearby clinic to pick up a prescription in the early morning and it was already hot. Driving the mile to the swimming pool this afternoon, it was over 100. I left there with wet hair and it was dry when I got home, even with air conditioning in the car.

With no a/c in the apartment, we are staying relatively comfortable with fans and minimal motion on our parts. I couldn’t rustle up enough energy to go out to dinner so we pulled a bunch of cold leftovers out of the refrigerator and feasted on those. We are promised even hotter weather tomorrow, so I’ll take it easier in the pool and save enough energy to go out to dinner.

If it should become unbearable in these digs, there are several air-conditioned buildings in this complex where we can take a book or laptop and hang out in comfort.

Fortunately the heat wave was just starting on Saturday when I attended a poet’s picnic in Vancouver. Oregon State Poetry Association and Washington Poets Association have a joint get together every summer and trade off between Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR. For four hours or longer a group that varied in size from time to time, visited, ate and shared poetry. Probably thirty or forty people participated altogether. I had a great time and the party was still going strong when I left.

On Sunday I decided since it was getting too hot to spend much time outside, I’d stay in and clean out file drawers. Anyone who does any writing accumulates reams of papers and I’m no exception. However, in the past, I’ve accumulated a lot of other stuff that I can well live without. I found the proofs to the photo I had taken to put in my poetry book in 1995. Why I saved those I have no idea. Many other such gems have turned up and been tossed. I’ve also found some things I’ve been looking for, that were lost in all that stuff. I finished with the four-drawer file cabinet today. I need to go to work on the closet next.

I’ve been winnowing out unused clothing for months, but papers and office supplies and equipment are taking up way too much space. I’ll never use all that stuff if I live to 150. So far, I’ve been able to manage two or three hours work a day before it gets too hot to move.