IN THE HEAT OF THESE SIZZLING JULY DAYS..........

Less than a month ago meteorologists and media weather forecasters were saying what an unusual summer we will likely haven in Northern California, given a complete lack of 100 degree plus temperatures during the month of June. Then here we are in the middle of July having several days in a row of ever increasing 100 degrees or higher being our reality. This is summer is normally like in July and August in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, it just seems with El Nino, climate change, and global warming entered into the equation it is getting hotter than before in the shank of summer. Having grown up with these degree of summer heat all my life, there have only been two times before now that the sizzling heat like that of recent days has really affected me to this degree. The first time was in the summers of 1983 and 1984, when having spent two seminary years in Ireland, I returned home to South Sacramento to discover how near intolerable the summer heat seemed. The second time was after being in Yreka, Siskiyou County, on the Oregon border for eighteen months as Pastor and then being transferred to Oroville in Butte County, that the milder climes of Yreka made the much hotter summer climate of Oroville seem stifling. All of us must do wise things in this sizzling summer heat. Stay out of the direct heat as much as possible. Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Enjoy the shade and the delta breeze as much as possible, Use air conditioning effectively but economically. Keep dampened wash cloths and hand towels. Swim, shower, or bathe, in the peak hours of 4-6 pm , in cold water to cool the body. Check that elderly, disabled, or infirm individuals in your circle of family, friends, and neighbors, are coping without difficulty in response to the heat, especially those who live alone or who are shut ins. The summer heat can bring us enjoyment, entertainment, and recreational opportunities, but be judicious in what you do, when and how you do it, and not let the sizzle cause you to fizzle..........In The One Who Is Truly The Sunshine Of Our Lives, Fr. Troy