The almond trees are blooming and buds are sprouting, too. It must have reached 70ºF here today and, surprising to no one, and it was a perfect day. A great day to have all the windows open. I know, I know, I’ve been saying that for weeks already!
As I understand it, much of the USA has been experiencing a mild winter, too, with record high temperatures in some place. But at least you get rain there! I read some statistic somewhere which said this Madrid winter has been the driest since records were taken in the late 1800s!! And I believe it! All winter long I’ve seen only a few sprinkles on the windows during one day – maybe two, and heard rain just one night. That’s terrible.
We’re in for a long, hot, dry summer too, you can bet on that. The reservoirs are already drying up and we’re sure to have water-usage warnings through September. I have to wonder if they’ll simply not fill some swimming pools this summer. We’ll see about that. I’ve YET to visit a Madrid swimming pool, myself, but I know they’re popular with youngsters and those hoping to show-off-that-body. I don’t fit into either of those categories – anymore. There was a time, however…
I’d hung the wet laundry up to dry yesterday morning on the rooftop clothes lines and they were dry by noon. Wow. That’s not fast, mind you, although it sounds like it. In July or August, clothes hung in the sun on the flat rooftop of our building will usually dry within an hour at the day’s peak sun/heat. Can’t wait for that! NOT! And since that flat roof is directly above my ceiling, well, you can imagine how hot it gets in-house – and worse in the late afternoon sun when it hits that wall of windows.
Funny how we learn how to play “Sun Blind Tag”, closing blinds on one side of the house to avoid it, open then when the sun passes over, and then close the blinds on the other side of the house when the sun starts down again. After sunset, everything opens up again to start a night of cool-off period. Unfortunately, as hot as it gets some days, the house and the building – all made of brick – can retain that heat throughout the night, offering little relief. THAT’S probably why so many Madrileños have to get outside during summer nights to enjoy the relative cool of the terrazas, have a few glasses of wine or cold beer, and forget about the heat until the next morning.
“They say” it’ll rain here in Madrid on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but…. I won’t hold my breath for that.
It was 75 degrees on my weather bug at 6 pm and I was walking around in shortsleeves!
Wow. Not sure I trust those weather bugs, though. 75ºF sounds a bit high for today. I wasn’t sweating too much in my jeans and short-sleeve shirt. My weather widget also says, as I mentioned, that it’ll rain (some?) on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday – and I’ll be “bowled over” with surprise and joy if that really happens.