Heat wave

How many days until autumn? Can't come soon enough, although I don't want to wish my life away. I am an autumn/winter/spring person. I hate summer heat.

I think back to the canicule (heat wave) of 2003 where 14,000 French died from heat-related causes.

Our offices were not air-conditioned, although the wooden blinds were shut making it a bit like being a mole. Water was brought to our desks regularly. At 3 each day the office was closed. We did have fans, although the first summer I worked there in 1993 there were none. The heat was nowhere near as bad then. My boss bought fans for our department and was criticized for doing so. Bless him. He didn't care. His staff was more comfortable.

Fortunately, ten years and management changes made them more human.

I lived a 20 minute or four-bus stop trip away. It was toss up. The buses were unbearable but walking home was also unbearable even with a water bottle to sip as I went.

My flat had two sides with big windows and a balcony. The wooden blinds were left down throughout the canicule. A cold shower before bed helped.

Now we are suffering another heat wave projected to be worse than 2003. Warnings on TV talk about drinking lots of water and checking on the elderly.

Children have gone to the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee to demand that climate change be added to the presidential debates. I hope they listen. If they don't they should remember that these are the voters of the future and they will pay. It is not just the US, but they are one of the worse for denying climate change. In Seattle, Republicans have run away rather than vote on a climate change bill. People still buy those gas-guzzling cars.

We all need to act.

Meanwhile, I can conjure up fantasies of red leaves, cheek-nibbling winds and snowflakes.