We're having (another) heatwave!

 

Another sweltering hot afternoon in the All Bear workroom...

So hot in fact, I pulled the window blind down (I let it up for a moment to take this photo) and the room is in darkness. The fan is blowing hot air feebly around the room and to be honest, I am wilting. The weather forecast seems to offer no relief for the forseeable future, so my apologies if website updates seem a little on the slow side at present.

Sadly, my garden is also wilting. Hosepipes are now a convenience of dim and distant memory, permissable only at rainy and cold times of year when they are least needed, or so it seems. The roses put on a brave stand against this heatwave and I do what I can to help them, by lugging heavy watering cans around the garden in the evenings, but what once took only a few minutes with a hosepipe, has become a slog under the new regime ... and I swear I use exactly the same amount of water. Sometimes there is little rhyme or reason to the edicts of water companies!

In all seriousness though, this week drought orders have been issued to seven areas in the UK. Kent isn't yet on the least but it may well happen. Given that the streets regularly pour with water from broken pipes and some areas, my daughter's included, have been without water to their houses because of poor management and broken pipes, the current situation is frustrating to many folk, as you can imagine.

Of course, I speak of mere inconvenience, but there are also reports of serious wildfires in Europe and now in the UK too. So frightening for residents and wildlife as those of you who live with such yearly threats overseas, will understand firsthand.

Here in All Bear Land, we are simply sweaty, weary and frankly, pretty bored of relentless sunshine, which quickly loses appeal without cool running water to keep the Grandchildren entertained and the garden green. If I sound a tad disgruntled, I confess I am. Such heat drains me these days and I am missing my midday walks with the dogs, who are in danger of becoming couch potatoes!

Anyway, enough of my overheated moaning. Normal service will resume and I am sure it won't be too long before we Brits are all complaining about the rain instead. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed a peek at the bears and dolls on the cabinet behind me!