All I have to say is – HOT!  and no I’m not referring to some old Avril Lavigne song or some shirtless guy across the street – it’s actually straight up HOT in Nova Scotia. 

Do you know what the worst part about working at Oak Island Resort in the summer is?  It’s the fact that while I’m working, there is a fantastic outdoor pool just steps away calling my name! a cold beer on the dining room deck begging to be drank! and 105 air-conditioned guestrooms surrounding me!  Life is just not fair right now!

As I sit here with a fan pointed directly at me, I have a hard time imagining those poor Torontonians who have experienced temperatures in the 40s (with humidity).  My sister-in-law and her husband are police officers in Toronto and I am unable to even understand the heat they feel while at work in their full police uniform, bullet vest and all!

So this morning when I woke up, in my non-air-conditioned apartment, I checked my phone; not just for the time but also the weather.  My blackberry has a temperature app (yup, I’m an app kinda girl) that keeps me updated on the weather.  When I wake up at 7:30am and see that it’s already in the 20s I  immediatly start thinking about what light fabric work ensemble I’m going to wear because the thought of a black suit or even closed toe shoes makes me cringe.  Lately, I seem to check this app several times a day to see how hot it actually is.   I just looked at the app right now and even though it says it’s only 27 it also lets me know that with humidty at 100% it actually feels like it’s 34!  Part of me questions the validity of this app because I think it’s hotter, but who am I to judge?!

It’s not just us Nova Scotians that are feeling the heat, it’s the entire East Coast of North America!  Even parts of Russia are sweltering from what some call the worst wave of hot dry weather!  It all makes me wonder, is global warming responsible for this East Coast heat wave?  Dr. Rob Carver answers:

“Ah, the $64,000 question. In the absence of detailed analysis, it’s hard to specify the exact cause for this heat wave, from a meteorological or climatological view point. However, events like this are consistent with research showing that heat waves are more likely with global warming.  I like the metaphor of loaded dice, global warming is not specifically responsible for any heat wave, but it will make them happen more often.”   (http://climateprogress.org/2010/07/07/heat-wave-global-warming-media-coverage/)

So, can we expect next summer to be even hotter?  Who knows! 

Don’t get me wrong, I love the sunshine! and the warmth! and in December I’ll be wishing I could return to this moment, humidity and all;  but as it stands right now, I’m at the mercy of this fabulous fan beside my desk.

-Lisa