“When the weather is hot, keep a cool mind. When the weather is cold, keep a warm heart.” Ajahn Brahm  

Whew! It’s the time again! Boy is it hot out there. I don’t know about you, but I miss the fall and the winter. This summer heat always gets me down. My garden sure does enjoy all the bright sunshine though. If you’re like me and need to find ways to cool down, I’ve got you. 

First, let’s take a moment to talk about heat in general. Overheating or heat illness (sometimes called heat exhaustion) is one of the major health concerns for summer days. It can happen quickly such as being in a hot car with no air circulation or slowly over a period of days in which the person just simply doesn’t replenish the water and salt that the body needs to stay hydrated. Heat-related sickness should never be ignored and here are some of the signs that someone is simply getting too hot:

  • Thirst 
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Weakness
  • Dizziness
  • Irritability
  • Heavy sweating

If you or anyone is experiencing these symptoms while outside on a hot day, it’s time to cool down and grab a drink of water before it progresses. Don’t try to tough it out; there’s nothing wrong with admitting that it’s simply too hot. Always air on the side of caution because heatstroke is very serious.  Get the overheated person to shade and have them drink fluids. If they are unable to keep fluids down or if their condition doesn’t improve within an hour, you should seek medical care immediately. 

Wow, that was serious. It’s so easy to be out enjoying the summer sun and not realize that you don’t feel good until it’s too late. Check in on the young and the old frequently in the heat (and don’t forget to check in with yourself too). Here’s some quick tips to keep the heat at bay:

  • Sip on fluids throughout the day. 
  • Wear light breathable clothing. 
  • Schedule physical activities for cooler times of the day. 
  • If you must be outside, find shade to cool off periodically. (Don’t forget the sunscreen!) 

So what’s another good way to stay cool? So glad you asked. How about reading about somewhere that’s super cool! Antarctica! Join The fantastic non-fiction book discussion on August 15th to discuss The Last Cold Place: A Field Season Studying Penguins in Antarctica by Naira de Garcia.

“Sharing her once-in-a-lifetime experience studying penguins in Antarctica, a scientist, weaving together the history of Antarctic exploration with climate science, field observations and her own personal journey of growth and reflection, offers a rare glimpse into life on this uninhabited continent.”

Sounds pretty cool, huh? Registration for this book discussion group is already open and runs through August 15th.  Need more information? Check out the events page on our website.

Perfect! Now, we need something for the kids… Oh! I know! Come hang out with us in the Tech Center on July 26th for our ever-popular Stay and Play. We’ll have snacks! We’ll have drinks! We’ll have games! Registration opens July 19th and runs through July 26th. Reserve your spot now to hang out from 2:00 to 5:30 p.m. with games like Minecraft, Fortnite, Roblox, PCs, Switches, and board games.

But! What about the even smaller kids?! The wee bitty ones need to stay cool too! Especially doing all of those important summer kid activities. We got you covered yet again. Come cool off with Book Worms and Water Bugs at Jerry Ivey Park! Join Ms Heather for water-side stories and music followed by playtime in the splash pad!

“Cause a little bit of summer is what the whole year is all about-” John Mayer

When it’s this hot, it’s important to be hydrated before, during and after the fun. You’ve probably heard this a thousand times…two thousand even, but that’s honestly because it’s just that important. Water. Entire civilizations used to establish themselves near water because it was so important! Okay, I’m being a bit dramatic, but hear me out. A mature adult person loses 2 ½ -3 liters of water daily. It might be relatively easy for you to drink that amount in a day to break even. However, on a hot day your metabolic rate increases and you can lose from 3 to 4 liters without doing anything particularly strenuous. Do you think you could nearly double your water intake just because it’s hot? Then consider that it’s not terribly uncommon for people spending time outdoors on hot days to lose much, much more: up to 10 liters in one good day of summer play. I don’t know about you, but if you’re running around playing sports or hiking or any other activity, you’re not going to be focusing on those 10 liters of water that are leaving your body making it very easy to get behind on your fluid intake. That’s why it’s important to drink water throughout the day and before the play even begins. You simply won’t be able to “make up for lost time” by drinking a lot of water all at once. So just keep sipping and you’ll be fine.

I know. I know…water’s so boring. Why is it so boring? Because it doesn’t have all this cool stuff in it! Have you ever cut up fresh fruit and put it in your water? You’d be surprised how delicious it is. Slices of lime, lemon, cucumber or even pineapple! Whatever you want and you get a nice refreshing snack after. It’s a simple way to make drinking water just a bit more fun with minimal effort. 

Need something a bit more inspiring to keep you cool and refreshed? Check out this cool book I found on juices and drinks. It makes drinking your fluids SO much easier when it tastes delicious. Toss in some frozen blueberries or grapes and enjoy the hot outdoors safely. 

Bonus tip: many of these juice recipes might make great homemade popsicles too, don’t you think?

Oh! One more! Now this one isn’t a cure-all for hydration, but it’s a great way to cool off with a tasty treat. Have you ever made your own ice cream? It’s such an iconic summer snack and a perfect use for the ice cream machine that’s collecting dust and shoved back in the back of your cupboards. I have lots of summer memories sitting outside on the porch with my parents watching the wheat being harvested and listening to the grinding drone of our ice cream maker whipping up homemade ice cream from our family recipe. I can’t share with you our secret recipe, but check out this book with lots of tasty ice creams, sorbets and more. 

Well, I think I’ve covered all my bases: stay cool…eat ice cream. Yep! Got it! I hope everyone has a great summer. Stay safe. Stay chill and happy fun-in-the-suning! (And don’t forget the sunscreen!)