Think Cool

It's summer in the northern hemisphere! Many parts of North America have been experiencing  hot weather. Is it hotter than other summers, or is it just that when we hit a certain temperature our bodies begin to protest?

How it affects us depends on what we're used to, but we all have our  limits!

My friend Jamie, who works in Joshua Tree National Park in the deserts of southern California, just stopped by to tell me that she observed a temperature of 122 degrees F in the Pinto Basin a few days ago. "Well, that's what the thermometer inside the car said," she explained: "I didn't get out to check." I'm not surprised, 122 would take your breath away.

Here in Vermont it's hovering above 90 degrees daytime, with humidity 50% and more. That's hot and uncomfortable here unless you're on the beach, and Vermont has plenty of wonderful beaches.

What's it like where you are?

Here are two ideas for bringing your body heat down - mind over matter:

1. Reflect on these two questions:

Which two national park units lie north of the Arctic Circle?

What's the largest glacier in Yosemite National Park?

2. Close your eyes and visualize a large bucket of ice water being poured slowly over your head, soaking you from head to foot . . . mmm . . .

Think snow!