I hate sweating. It's nothing new, but my distaste toward this necessary bodily function came about in my later years. And each year I seem to have less tolerance for heat. So when I seem to always be complaining about the heat I wonder if it's me or if we are truly having a record-setting summer.
I learned a few heat-related tidbits that make me feel less like a crybaby:
We base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.
Dew point is measured in degrees; the higher the dew point, the more muggy. According to weatherspark.com, here's the do-dah on the dew point:
less than 55 degrees F: comfortably dry
55 - 60 degrees F: Humid
60 - 70 degrees F: Muggy
70 - 74 degrees F: opressive
above 75 degrees F: miserable
Even with the stats, it's a judgement call. Who among us can define the difference between humid and muggy?
During this time in my garden, some plants have been thriving, building up to blooming, or in general holding their own. Here are a few that haven't missed a beat--some performing in spite of the heat, others gearing up for cooler weather.
