Heat wave and the swallows nest

The very definite summer is here and I love it; its’ greenery, flowers, birds singing and bringing their babies to my bird feeders.  I love sitting in the garden, listening to our local nightingale while drinking sundowners.  Dipping my feet in the lake, walking dogs in dappled shade, watching sun going down (or coming up) and all of it so romantic and beautiful, but….

I battle to live a normal life in high 30s of Celsius. I know that the world “hate” is offensive to some of us, but when I have to battle in 36C in the shade and 42C in the sun I do not care.  I really hate being hot and sweaty when doing any physical work. I hate dust storms I have to put up with when I cut the dry, yellow grass in my semi wild garden, despite of the lawn mower set up on high. I hate hot nights where my hair sticks to my head while I am trying to sleep.  I hated it when I lived in Durban, South Africa and in California.  It was easier to put up with in California because I find that the dry heat of the desert is more bearable, but by our lake it feels very much like in humid Durban.  So, if anyone reading it loves tropics, the holiday by our lake is the right choice for you.

Heat was also the reason for the very sad story.  I had four swallow chicks in the nest their parents built under the roof of the outbuilding’s veranda.  They jumped from the nest, most likely because of the heat.  I was searching for help on the internet after the first one jumped three days ago.  I found it dead in the morning and was very upset.  It was developing nicely; its size was perfect and he/she looked like a healthy little swallow, but it wasn’t to be a long life for him.  I buried the little one in the garden and was watching remining three that were still in the nest.  It was 36 C in the shade for days now and I can only imagine how hot it was right under the not too thick roof of the veranda.  I was checking on them from time to time, removed panels hindering the air flow and kept the shed door open for some draft to go through, but despite of all of it I would see three little, tired heads hanging over the edge of the nest; they seemed half alive to me.  They still moved and I was hoping that they will survive.  They probably would if it cooled down.  The next morning I found the three of them under the nest, dead.  Despite of what I have read on various sites (swallows are apparently resilient and can put up with hot weather) they didn’t survive.  I cleaned the nest in case there were any parasites in it, but it looked perfectly OK, no mites or other creepy crawlies.  Probably too hot for them too.  I don’t want to remove the nest, it is illegal to do anyway, but I hope that swallows will not try again to have babies in it.  It would be almost the certain death for them, as the summer is only starting, and August is usually the hottest month here.

Other than this very upsetting story my “do it yourself” works around the house are progressing nicely.  I started to remove side panels of the shed’s veranda when swallow babies were still alive, and the task will be finished by the end of week.  Panels are made from the cheap plastic and am happy to be getting rid of them.  I used the place as a storage until now, but I made a few trips to the local recycling centre recently and the veranda will be finally what it is usually meant to be. The pretty place, full of flowers and comfy seating where one hides from the sun or watches rain with a cup of tea.