Global Sizzle

After two hours of moving bearded iris bulbs to a new location in my garden, I was saturated with sweat (80% dripping wet) and focused on mixing apple cider with seltzer water. I gulped a huge glass of the beverage with ice when I walked into the kitchen and thought to myself:

"Oh, no! There is a heat advisory until Thursday and it's only Sunday today."

Why was I moving the bearded iris? because the peach and the brown varieties would look better color coordinated in the same location instead of separated by daisies and lilies.

Global warming?

When I looked at my shorts and the material was dripping salty sweat from both legs, I determined that my precious body fluids were not all there. The heat index- 44 degrees Celsius in a climate of 67 percent humidity- helped me grasp the principle of flowers wilting in the midday sunshine and then popping erectly back to life at six in the evening when the sky turns a hushed orange.

What will the world be like when this round glob of organic matter and heartbeats heats up to sizzling? Why does road rage multiplied by ten come to mind? People can't help but being unpleasant as they mop a lake of gushing liquid from their brows and experience their bras and underpants filling with moisture. I need more apple juice and seltzer water just thinking about it.

Extra, extra, read more about it in The New York Times Opinion pages.

Sizzle Factor For A Restless Climate