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July 2nd, 2016

My back porch

My back porch

We’ve lived through another Arizona June, and now we have to endure July and August and part of September before we can remember why we love Arizona in the first place. July and August are the rainy season in the desert Southwest. The thermometer may not read as high as it did in June, but it is infinitely more humid and 107 degrees F in July feels a lot worse than 107 degrees in June. Even so, we’re talking 30 percent humidity as opposed to 2 percent. Whoever first said “but it’s a dry heat” wasn’t kidding.

I complain, but remember that I grew up in eastern Oklahoma, where 98 degrees is accompanied by 98 percent humidity and 98 million mosquitos, gnats, and midges. And cockleburs. And no air conditioning, at least when I was young. (Besides, we walked twelve miles to school in our bare feet and lived in box in the middle of the road.)

So thank you, Mr. Carrier, for inventing the air conditioner and making life infinitely easier for us Southerners, even if it has made us wimpier.

June was quiet around here. I did do an interview at David Binder’s website, talking about my writing process. Have a look  by clicking here. Otherwise, I stuck close to home, praying that the electric grid holds up and working on the next Alafair book. I sent the completed manuscript to my editor last week, and she’ll respond with her rewrite suggestions after the holiday. Here is where we pray that the MS passes muster, or at least is considered fixable. If all goes well, I’m thinking the book will appear early next year.

One thing the heat has made me think of is watermelon and homemade ice cream. Last month’s recipe was for watermelon pudding, so this month I posted a recipe for homemade peach ice cream on the Recipes page. The instructions are for the old-fashioned hand-crank ice cream maker, but if you have an electric ice cream freezer at home, all the better.

 

 

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