We’re firmly planted in the rhythm of summer. Firecracker hot days…blessedly cool nights…and mowing our five acres under a golf umbrella. I have a history of heat exhaustion. Every time it happens, the next time it is quicker and harder. I’ve experimented with various methods to prevent it from happening and have finally figured it out.

Here are my secrets to keeping safe in a heat wave, even when working outside.

1. I don’t eat anything heavy before I go out. A piece of fruit or toast is plenty.
2. Get an early start. As soon as the dew has subsided, it is a good time to mow.
3. Wear plenty of sunscreen, a floppy-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and cool loose-fitting clothing.
4. Fill a water bottle with an electrolyte drink and ice. I use Drip Drop or Liquid I.V. I find if I drink some about fifteen minutes before I go out to mow and carry the bottle with me on the tractor to drink frequently, I stay well hydrated.
5. Here’s the thing that has helped me the most. I carry an open golf umbrella over my head to keep most of my body shaded. It’s been a game changer!
6. Take frequent breaks. It doesn’t have to be stopping the mower and going in. If you have a nice shady spot by a creek like I do, that’s my go-to place to cool off and have a drink.
7. Finish as early as you can. If you must, take a break during the heat of the day and go back out when the sun is behind houses, trees, or a hill.
8. When you are finished, sit down with some cold fruit like melon, apple, berries, or a banana. A popsicle hits the spot, and it’s a lovely treat to reward yourself for a hard day’s work.

Know the signs of heat-related illness:

   Heat Exhaustion

1. Headache
2. Nausea
3. Dizziness
4. Weakness
5. Irritability
6. Thirst
7. Heavy Sweating
8. Elevated Body Temperature
9. Decreased Urine Output

   Heat Cramps:

• Painful Muscle Cramps and Spasms, usually in the legs and abdomen, with heavy sweating

   Heat Syncope:

• Sudden dizziness or fainting can occur after prolonged standing or sudden rising from sitting or lying down.

Heat Rash:

• Skin irritation from heavy sweating during hot, humid weather

Heat Stroke:

• The most serious heat-related illness
• The body can no longer regulate its temperature
• Confusion
• Altered mental status
• Slurred speech
• Loss of consciousness
• Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
• Seizures
• Very high body temperature

One wouldn’t necessarily think mowing in this kind of heat is joyful, but it’s all a matter of perspective. For me, mowing is a kind of meditation—a time to think without interruption and focus on what’s growing in the pollinator gardens. I discovered several turtle nests in the pathways and edges of the gardens. And I spooked a fawn that mama had hidden amongst the tall grasses. It very likely could be the same fawn I rescued from the flood waters a couple of weeks ago. If it is, it’s much bigger now, yet it still has its spots.

I was sure I would get to bake yesterday, but when I was finished mowing, I was finished for the day. A shower and ham sandwiches for supper were all I had left in me. I hope you are staying safe in the heat. It’s only going to get worse in the coming days, so be careful out there!

💜

For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.  James 1:11

***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful for this beautiful place that I share with Mr. FixIt. There is peace here. It is filled with the sounds of birds. Animals dart in and out of the pollinator gardens and the hedgerow beyond. And when it has been properly groomed, there is no comparison to its beauty. God lives here.