SUMMER'S HERE! NGYAR......=S

I just know summer's here (in February, really?!) when the breezy, cool noontime walks I didn't mind taking from Boni High all the way to Market! Market! for lunchtime errands is no longer possible. I get out of our office and barely make it to Starbucks (no more than 50 steps away) without melting.

I just know summer's here (in February, really?!) when I have to turn the aircon on much, much earlier at night as opposed to turning it on only right before we sleep. I just know summer's here when the barely there aircon cooling (more for air circulation really, whether real or imagined on my part) gives way to lower and lower temps. It's a vicious cycle I know.....Guilty as charged! Ngyar. ='(

I just know summer's here (in February, really?!) when I couldn't resist having a tall glass of ice-cold Coke Light poured over a tall glass filled with ice. Get that ice-cold Coke just isn't enough? In the office where the aircon blasts on the entire day, I drink coffee. I drink green tea (to aid in my quest to lose 15 lbs. by the time I'm 40!). In House Better, during weekends, nothing else does it for me. Forget the "happiness bit" that they blare out on all their TVC's. It's all about fizz and bubbles going down to soothe a dry, parched throat. *SFX: glug-glug-glug...Aaaaaaaaaaaaah! =D*

I just know summer's here (in February, really?!) when droughts, low water levels and cloud seeding take precedent over presidential campaign buzz and political mud-slinging in the early evening news.

Still, this being Banzo's first summer, I have had a few more reminders. These days, I just know summer's here (in February, really?!) because Banzo has started to shed, his loose furballs rolling all over the place like desert tumbleweeds against the air being blown by the industrial fan. We have started to put bottles and bottles of 1.5L Coke PETs filled with water in the freezer so that Fe-licious can repeatedly replace his water dispenser with ice-cold water throughout the day. (And just like that, he drinks practically half the bottle now everytime he goes, haha.) I have also taken to texting Fe-licious in the middle of the day to check if she kept the industrial fan on as I told her or to direct her to put on the aircon if it's particularly hot (mag-jacket na lang siya, haha).

Finally, I just know summer's here when the resident Siberian Husky who used to curl up blissfully as he sleeps now spreads eagle like an accidental porn star in all those video scandals every time he takes a nap.



Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Welcome to the start of a potentially 40-degree summer.

Heaven help all of us. =S

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If there's anything that'll help cool things down, it's trees.

I know because there is a world of difference between driving down old acacia-lined McKinley Road on the Forbes side and driving down the same road on the Fort Bonifacio side where the trees are still young (in time, in time...).

I know because there is a world of difference between walking the pups on the street outside and playing with them instead in Mother's House Better garden with the Santol tree covering practically the entire backyard and a gazillion other plants and mini-trees cooling things down.

Sometime last year, I goaded the entire family into a tree-planting activity at the La Mesa watershed. 20 seedlings prepared in honor of the kiddies in the family (including Buster J and, back then, Barrioca, haha). 'Would have to find time (and cash, haha) to do that one again.

In the meantime, I do hope this will inspire you to find some way of planting a tree in your own neighborhoods or your own backyards. Come rainy season, they will help keep the floods away. Come summer, they will help cool us down. Could there be any better deal than that? None. So go! =)