I am pleased to report that the Cobber is a significant aid in keeping me cooler during this heat wave. All it needed was to be soaked for 1/2 hour in water, then it was good to go. I wear it while I am awake, standing or sitting, and I wish I could think of a way to use it at night while I am sleeping, or trying to sleep!
Searching online I found many versions of this type of cooling neck wrap, under many names. The ones I purchased, Cobbers, came from Austalia, and are very high quality. I paid dearly for them, but since it was to be Attila’s birthday gift, that seemed appropriate. Now that we know that they are helpful in a heat wave, I will be searching for a less expensive version.
The other tool in the keeping-cool arsenal is the fan. Moving air makes a HUGE difference, and this is even more marked when I am wearing the cobber.
Last night, it was very hot when we headed to bed. The cobber is a little bit damp and lumpy for wearing while reclined, so I removed it and settled for aiming the small fan at the exact spot where I would be sleeping. Attila doesn’t feel the heat the way I do, he is very heat tolerant. So the fan was all mine. Unfortunately the power went off in the wee hours of the morning, which meant the fan stopped. I awoke before light, in a state of heat haze.
When Attila left for work this morning at 6 a.m., I left for the little house in the city. It was a long drive, there were several sections of road that were under construction and required lengthy waits at the flag person’s Stop Sign. There were also a lot of very large transport trucks on the secondary highways, travelling slowly up the hills, and with increasing speed down the other side. There was nothing for it but to follow along patiently. By the time I stopped for fuel I was very tired, and so I drank a second cup of coffee, which is something I seldom do. It perked me up though, and should not affect my sleep, as it was only 8:50 a.m. in the morning when I stopped for fuel.
After I arrived at the little house I called Attila, and sent off a message to Terra to let her know I am around and about. Then I headed off to pick up my new glasses. They fit pretty well, right off the bat. I decided to skip a fitting and to wear them for a bit, to get used to them and better assess the fit. I really like them so far.
Then I stopped by the local grocery store for a few supplies. The most important item on my list was milk, and it was the only item I did not purchase. I remembered that I needed milk when I reached the car, with all my other purchases in tow. I loaded the car, and headed back into the grocery store for the milk.
Now I am sitting in front of the rotating fan, feeling relatively cool, and relaxed. The humidex is high here, but it is not as high as it is at our country house, where Attila is working out in the hot sun, all day long. I am thinking of him.
I have a few items on my to do list for this visit. First, I have a load of lumber to shift from the car into the garage. There are two batches, one for Terra and Lares, the other for us. Some of the pieces are eight feet long, and there are quite a few of them, so I’ve done the job slowly, piece by piece, and it took quite a while. Phew! Time for another break sitting in front of the fan!
Terra came over for dinner, with the Dash to dog, who is such a character. Terra has been working a long series of night shifts and is wearing down. She was tired enough that she decided not to eat, but we had a nice chat before she headed home. We had some firewood from the branch on the Crabapple tree that came down last year in a storm. I loaded it into Terra’s car, they can burn it in their new fire pit!
I brought my sewing machine with me this time, and hope to get a start on the kitchen curtains. I will need to hoe the garden, and trim the grass, which will be a short job with my new handy trimmer. We will see what else I get to!
Worldly Distractions
Weather
The humidex is the number that indicates how hot it FEELS!
22°C (26C at the country house)
Condition: Haze
Pressure: 101.0 kPa
Tendency: falling
Visibility: 10 km
Temperature: 22.4°C
Dewpoint: 20.9°C
Humidity: 91%
Wind: WSW 17 km/h
Humidex: 31C (33C at the country house)
Quote
I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.”
Oprah Winfrey
1954 –
I have mixed feelings about Oprah. When I think about Schindler (Schindler’s List), I think that maybe she is OK. I cannot abide listening to her. The universe works in mysterious ways.
Oh, my dear, I sympathize greatly. The heat is so hard to endure, and some, like Attila, can handle it quite nicely, and others, like us, suffer and cope as best we can.
When I was a school bus driver (back in the day), I used to go to the women’s restroom and soak a towel, which I wore around the back of my neck while driving and used to wipe down my face and arms at each stop. Finally, one horrible day, not only did I soak the towel, but my uniform shirt as well. When I put it back on, it took only 15 minutes before it had started to dry again. Gaaaah!
It was a relief to be promoted to a supervisor position, and then up the chain of command. Each promotion meant less time in the field, and more in air conditioned vehicles and offices. But I missed the autonomy and the direct connection to the people we served (parents and children).
My home now does not have central a/c, but my bedroom does have a window air conditioner. The one time I MUST have it cool is when I sleep. During the day I can rinse off with cool water, turn on the fan, wet down a towel for around the neck. But at night I can’t sleep if it’s hot.
I do hope your little house in the city isn’t too, too hot and that you are reasonably comfortable. Sounds like you’ve got a lot of projects going and are keeping very busy. Not to mention the days you go to work for somebody else! Whew!
Tilley lists the Cobber at $20. Did you have to pay much more?
I may buy them as gifts. I don’t suffer greatly from heat, but several people I know do. Thanks for the tip, Mag.
Sarah, I am lucky to actually work in an air conditioned environment, when I do work. We have a “window rattler” air conditioner at the country house, but Attila doesn’t like it much, so we have only installed it in the window twice, during heat waves in two different summers. Just the idea of sitting in a vehicle during a heat wave seems horrendous! So much easier to be out of doors where the air is moving, I think. The car we use to travel back and forth to the little house has air conditioning, our first vehicle with air conditioning. It is a game changer!
At the little house there are fans in all the ceiling light fixtures, and they make an amazing difference!!! I would not have believed it! The temperatures are lower today, the humidity remains high. It isn’t exactly comfortable, but I am not suffering.
Steve Paul, I did pay the $20 for the cobber, because it was a gift. I got one for myself as well, saves on shipping, because I wanted to give it a try. I plan on making our own in future, putting my old sewing machine to good use. Time flies! I bought my sewing machine in 1969, and it has been in use, off and on, since then. Someone offered to buy it as a collectors piece, it was a state-of-the-art specialty machine in its day, but I would not part with it!
I bought this machine when it was new technology!!! http://www.lotusbyelna.com/en/content/lotus-spirit/content-id-2/category-id-1.html
The season of heat has hit our region. Not to be one-upping you, but the forecast for Yuma this Friday is ‘officially’ supposed to get up to 117F (47C). If it were also as humid as your region, we might be boiled alive! I am grateful for good air conditioning.
I’m glad your eye glasses are working well.
Joan, I just cannot imagine heat that intense. The humidity brings our felt temperature to about 36, 37 C at times, but 47!!!!! Yikes! Keep cool!