Hot! Again! It has been hot, humid and very, very sunny since last weekend. As I write, it is shortly after four in the afternoon and the temperature is 40 degrees C just outside my kitchen window. The thermometer is still in the shade.

So far we are managing to survive it all, but each day it becomes more difficult. Each day the interior of the house is warmer than the day before. Each evening the air seems to cool later, and later.

We have been discussing the possibility of purchasing an air conditioner for our bedroom. This discussion has been complicated by our small income and the careful choices we need to make.

One of the possibilities we are considering is my little trailer. It is a vintage trailer now, built in 1977. On top of it sits an air conditioner, the original. I have never even turned it on, because I always camped in "rough" areas where power was not available. So, last night Attila rummaged around in the boot and produced the power cable. The quality of Airstream is not a myth; he had that air conditioner up and running in no time.

The domino effect is in operation however. The trailer sat in storage for over a year before we managed to get it transported to our new home. With no opposition to deter their progress, mice decided to make it their home. We have quite a mess to clean up and the smell, well yes, the smell. It was better this morning and I believe that within a few days it will have disappeared entirely. Until then, sleeping in the air conditioned little trailer will not be an option.

Last weekend we splurged. For the first time in over a decade, for the first time in our relationship, we spent an entire weekend entertaining our personal interests. We attended the Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia, Ontario. We had a great time!

As we arrived on Friday night, the man at the gate told us, "The main stage has been rained out, it has no power. It's been cancelled. Your welcome to come in though, and walk around if you like."

Which is exactly what we did, having driven quite a distance to attend. As it turned out, the main-stage concert was rearranged and the entertainment carried on in the beer tent. It was crowded, and we couldn't see a thing but the clouds in the sky, from where we sat on the ground outside the tent. The sky was beautiful, the music was good, and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. We actually got to see the last act, Fruit from Australia, because many people left when Sarah Harmer finished her set, leaving room for us in the tent. Bless their silly souls. Those three women (Fruit) are a real treat to see and hear.

The weekend just kept getting better. I really enjoy the small stages, where you can actually see the performers and watch them weave their magic. The weather was hot and sunny, but with a constant breeze from Lake Couchiching, we hardly noticed the high temperatures. With my allergy I dare not eat food from the vendors, so we planned our meals carefully and treated ourselves to daily picnics.

The long drive to attend was a cloud with a silver lining. By the time we arrived home in the wee hours, the temperature had dropped, and it was comfortable enough to get a few hours sleep, before we headed back to the park the next morning.

Today, Thursday, we have almost caught up with our sleep and recovered from our late nights. Not even the heat wave has kept us from sleeping soundly!

Splurging on weekend entertainment just might be the best and cheapest solution to a heat wave.

One of my greatest fears is that I will outlive Attila. I have once lost a love, and I know well that souls once joined, remain entwined. Sometimes it helps to write one's fears and sorrows into the daylight, and I have done that with a new poem, widow.