I haven’t been joining my family for their fossil hunting, lake swimming trips this summer. I usually take the time to catch up at home and maybe rest a bit. But sometimes I like to go too. It’s been in the 90s here this week: sweltering. Jonny hypothesized that it would be about ten degrees cooler along the river, and that there would be a nice breeze. Plus, if we went, we would be arriving after 4 p.m. So, I decided to go. Turns out it was horribly, horribly, I thought I would die of heat stroke hot. There was no breeze. This weather is crazy. I wore a knee length knit skirt and tank top and no compression socks of any sort, but I still don’t know when the last time was that I sweated so much. I walked until I found shade and sat there dripping and taking photos of the tangled plants growing along the cliffs to try and amuse myself, but still didn’t last long. I headed back and told Jonny I’d wait for them at the van. Jonny of course didn’t like that plan, me sitting up at the van by myself, so he and the kids soon followed. Luckily the boys found some nice teeth during the brief time they spent on the beach. Keats and Gabe both found their biggest teeth ever. Keats was so excited that he totally cooperated for a photo. I had to say “Please!” many times to convince Gabe to let me take a photo of him with his tooth. One day he’ll be glad to have these photos I tell him. He doesn’t believe me.
At the end of the day I was glad to have the photos of Larkspur and Beatrix out in the water, Larkspur so clearly watching out for her little sister. Lately, it seems like these girls of ours have been fighting so much and it really breaks my heart sometimes! It’s good to remember that underneath it all there is love. It’s hard though: growing up, sharing most everything, always being together. I remember. I have sisters too.
Later, the kids swam at the lake while Jonny and I watched, sweated, and swatted insects. We grilled hot dogs and ate salad with cucumbers from our garden and tomatoes from someone else’s garden. I had my knitting, but couldn’t even bring it out of the bag because I was too sticky. I drank lots of water to make up for the sweating and the kids had lots of fun, so no harm done. But, next time, I’m staying home!
Today the high is 95. Yikes!
I hope you all have a great weekend!
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Last summer when I was pregnant with #2 it was in the nineties for two months and the Midwest was experiencing a serious drought. I went to the lake every day with my family before my husband when to work. It provided a break from the heat and a break from all that pressure in my belly. My soon was born at the beginning of August. The lake was a sanity saver!
You’re so lucky to be in an area with all those fossils. We get arrowheads up here but we aren’t allowed to keep them due to the laws for protecting cultural artifacts and burial grounds.
We arrived in VA this week. Coming from Colorado where it is dry and even on 100 degree days cools off as soon as the sun sets, this heat and humidity have been quite a welcome!! The neighbors are telling us this is not normal. I sure hope so! I have NEVER sweat so much in my life.
I hope you get some relief this week. It is pretty miseralbe to be pregnant in this crazy heat.
Ginny, I am so puzzled, why didn’t you get in the water with the kids and cool off? I’m almost 70 now but I do remember 4 pregnancies, 3 in the summer and no AC in those days…………..I stood on the lawn in the shade most days and thanked the Lord for sprinklers. Also wonder if you have those neat little snaky things that you keep in the fridge and then wear around your neck. Bliss!
same here…just when you think it can’t get any hotter (or more humid!) —it does. (But i’m not pregnant….so who am I to complain?—although I do!!!)
Lovely photos, they really capture what looks like a wonderful and peaceful place, except for the heat! The fossil teeth look amazing too! Hope the weather cools down for you.
Hi,
I’ve been lurking around your blog for a few years now, and always love seeing and reading about your adventures. And the knitting, of course. I live in NC and I was wondering what lake you go to where you find all those great fossils. You’ve probably mentioned it and I just don’t remember. Anyway, I believe my kids would really enjoy that.
Thanks!
This trip was along the shore of the Potomac River on a private beach. Westmoreland State Park is a good place for finding shark’s teeth and is near the beach where we hunt. You’ve got some great places in NC though! We took a trip to Greenville, NC a couple of months ago to hunt for fossils!
Here in Utah we have had a serious heat wave! We average 6 days of 100+ days each summer, but this year we’ve had a stretch of 8 days in a row, and 14 days of triple digits total! Super hot, but at least I don’t have to suffer with high temps and humidity! You must be sticky and feeling drenched 24/7. You poor gal, my heart goes out to you! I carried my 2nd child through a hot summer, she was born on November 10th. I was so sick, tired and grouchy! I hope you have some sort of A/C. I will be sure and give extra prayers of gratitude for my central air, and pray for you to know this season will not last forever. I hope you are sleeping well too.
Love, Kate Talley
What a day you had! I haven;t been pregnant but clearly remember my mother pregnant with my sister. She was miserable in the heat. Tired, sweaty and endlessly on the short side of crabby. 🙂 You handle your pregnancy and mothering with far more grace and love. This is what took you on your horrible beach trip where you got such fantastic pictures. I just love the moments you capture of your kids. Look at those shark teeth! And Silas–love that boy. So much pure joy. You keep us out of the fighting, the only together pictures we see of the girls are the ones where they are growing up as close friends. Otherwise, we get the individual ones and never know that your family is just like every else’s–LoL. Today’s blog was particularly real and very special, thank you.
we are getting the heat wave in northern virginia too – only over 100 degrees!! i hope that it cools down for you and all the other preggo mamas. i remember laying on our bed practically naked and pregnant – during the summer – underneath our fan. we didn’t have AC. memories … 🙂
Hope you can keep cool somewhere… What types of trees are those lining the coastline? Could be Australia in parts! X x
Arrghh..I know what you mean about the heat! I just got back from Texas where it was 100 degrees at 10 PM and thought that it would be cooler here in NC. But temperatures have been so high the last couple of days, it is all I can do to get outside and feed the animals. Blessings and stay cool, Ginny.
I am not good at heat either! But it does look like the kids had a fabulous time!
That look of pure bliss on Silas’ face made me smile! That looks so refreshing-sorry you weren’t able to keep cool!
I can’t believe Gabe wouldn’t pose for a photo-not only is that tooth super awesome, but he is so handsome! Your family is so photogenic-I know your photo skills are part of it, but I’m sure you will agree that they are also all beautiful! Including you and Johnny of course 🙂
Yes, it’s been unusually hot – even in the mountains of CA where I live. At least it cools off at night so we can sleep comfortably. We haven’t had rain since April. We normally don’t have summer rain, but this whole year has been exceptionally dry and we water, water, water to keep everything alive. I would gladly trade some of this “at least it’s dry heat” for some sweltering humidity.
Reading about your girls made me let out a huge sigh. We have been going through a really rough patch these past few weeks and my girls have been fighting non-stop. I sometimes feel like they are the only ones to do this (silly, I know)…
But oh those sweet reminders they show make it all worth it, don’t they? My girls randomly held hands all day out grocery shopping yesterday with K helping C all the way. I was so absorbed watching them I instantly forgot about all the quarrels on the way there.
XOXO
p.s. I think you may already know but I am not a heat person at all! Oregon is perfect for me. I sit here typing this in a wool sweater 🙂 I lived indoors in the summer when I lived in VA. I would get such cabin fever.
::sigh:: I hate hot weather. I’m glad to be living in an area where we don’t really get that hot. Once in awhile…I think we spent all of 6 days in a row with temps over 90F. Most of the time, it’s 72F and sunny. Most of the time. It’s supposed to get up to the upper 70s over the next few days.
The downside is that it hardly ever rains here.
I miss good thunderstorms…
We live in northern VA but have been away the majority of the summer. Our friends keep telling us how ridiculously sweltering it is right now! I showed our littles the pictures of the teeth your boys found. They are super jealous, we have yet to find anything much bigger than my thumb nail. However, we haven’t been fossil hunting that long as we are newer to the East Coast and have only been to a couple of places. Beautiful photos!
Beautiful, sweet photos as always. Thanks for sharing.
Oh, I hear you loud and clear on this summer heat! I can so identify with Wanda being from Texas and being so used to the air conditioning. Heat was the last thing we thought we’d be adjusting to in Colorado! And, yes, the knitting. I’m having to save it for the night hours after the sun has gone done, and I can catch the cool breeze coming in through the open windows. Hoping for a cooler and more comfortable weekend for you! 🙂
I had my baby last summer on August 6th
I remember the mass amounts of sweat, the felling hard to breath and move around.
The heat wears you out!
I hope the next couple months are filled with cool and relaxing activity!
This weather has been absolutely miserable this week. I am holding out for some really good storms in our area tonight to get back to something a little more normal.
Hooray for the boys and their findings! I absolutely love the photo of Gabe and Silas in the water. Silas seems like he is a definite water baby and could spend all day there.
Hope you have some heat relief soon!
Ginny, we experienced that heat this week on our trip to New Brunswick. It has been 103 here in Texas when we left and as soon as we got to Canada the Texas temps dropped into the 70’s and it rained for 3 days! We are used to air conditioning, so 89 in Canada with no air was freakish for us and not comfortable. I know when you are pregnant it just makes it 1000 times worse! Been there. As far as sisters fighting…raised 4 daughters just 5 1/2 years from oldest to youngest. Sometimes they still do although they are 25 – 31 now. But they do love each other! That I know!