Midsummer heat feast

A humid night, losing a couple of hours of sleep, but feeling none the worse for this. I seem to adjust easily to higher ambient temperatures, and find I'm sharper, more alert. All I have to do is avoid unnecessary exertion and exposure to sun and wind that would cause me to overheat. Heaven knows why, but I'm grateful to feel less worse due to sleep loss than I might do otherwise.

I posted today's YouTube Morning Prayer link to WhatsApp when I got up at eight. St Catherine's was pleasantly cool for today's celebration of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. Cancellation of the service I was due to celebrate at St John's left me free to attend the St Catherine's Eucharist, celebrated by Fr Colin. There were six of us altogether. By the time I was on my way home from coffee and chat following the service, the temperature rose from 25 to 31C.

Work on the loft conversion next door but one must be nearing completion, a fully loaded builder's skip was taken away while I was out this morning. I imagine little work can be carried out safely on roof tile replacement or loft conversion jobs in weather as hot as this. It's the hottest June day on record apparently.

Clare cooked fish and made couscous to go with it for lunch, not so heavy on the digestion in this weather. I ventured out to post a letter, then dozed in my armchair for an hour, and ventured out to buy fruit - short spells outdoors, cooling off in between. The same in the evening too. The humidity is inescapable. When I went out for an evening walk there a concert by 'The Cure' was taking place in Bute Park. The volume of heavy sound from bass and drums echoing a mile away from the concert stage was unpleasant and obtrusive, the singer and cheering audience in between numbers were hardly audible in comparison.

Later when it was quieter, I recorded and edited the audio for next Wednesday's Morning Prayer, made the video slide show and uploaded it to YouTube, relieved to find concentration to work on it despite the heat, Slowly after sunset the air cooled down, so it was possible to keep the bedroom window open at bed time. So far I've avoided using the dehumidifier. It's not a welcome noise when you're trying to fall asleep.