All across the States there has been reports that this summer so far (we are only half way done) has been filled with days with record breaking heat. My earlier post 'Wow! It is hot outside!' includes some ideas to stay cool on such hot days. I have since spent entire afternoons outside when it was very hot out. For example I went to outdoor festival called Artscape, where they had misting cooling stations scattered about so people can have some relief. Another day I took a walking tour of the Naval Academy in Annapolis with my family, where we sometimes were indoors but other times it was walking across the yard resting under a few shade trees as we learned about the different locations. On both occasions I had a water bottle that I filled up to stay hydrated, had sunblock and a hat to protect me from the Sun's rays.
I noticed that with the heat wave lots of trees started dropping leaves because there was a small drought in the area. Once the rain came the trees and plants perked up a bit soaking up all the water that they could. I am amazed how much a little rain can do to refresh everything and making it green again. I am sure the animals were happy as well to get a bit of cooling rain. Last week I was looking out my window and saw a squirrel digging a small hole under a bush so that it could hide low in the shade of the plant. I tried to take a picture but the animal was so well camouflaged as I looked through the window but it didn't come out well enough. I was happy to see that even the squirrels find a way to stay cool when it is super hot outside in the summer time. I hope the little guy was happy when it rained as much as I was. Have you noticed any changes like I have with the weather?
You don't have to go far to enjoy the great outdoors, and on some of these super hot days a small excursion to your backyard or near by park is all that is needed. The Maryland Science Center has a whole weekend dedicated to this type of adventure called Backyard Science Days filled with animal encounters and hands-on activities for visitors to take part in. This year it is happening on the weekend of August 12 -13 in the afternoon. If you are in the area and are looking for something fun to do you should come check it out.
I hope you can join me in enjoying the nice weather we have as the summer continues. Stay cool, Meet Me Outdoors.
