As Ella sang, it’s been “Too Darn Hot” this summer. Seriously. The temperature gauge in my car read 101 during a recent trip down Laguna Canyon Road on my way to meet the girls at The Cliff for an ice-cold chardonnay. Laguna had transformed into an alternate universe called Florida. There were days I attempted to tough out the sweltering temps to minimize use of my air conditioner, an added expense I didn’t need. “I can do this,” I would reason. Every morning, wearing shorts and strappy tank top, which became my corporate very casual attire, the hair would go up into a ponytail. I would open all the windows, crank on my fan and get cracking on my workload. After all, the cats have built-in fur coats and they manage. But what they managed to do was sleep all day.

Cats can get away with sleeping all day. I have deadlines. I can’t be nodding off at the computer, which is what I was often doing as sweat trickled down my neck. Ick. So much for my fan, which was only good for blowing around the sun baked air wafting through the windows of my upstairs loft/home office. I acquired a newfound value in the cost of cool air. Hellooo air conditioning.

Even my morning visitor, Mr. Squirrel, suffered from heat exhaustion.

A fire in the canyon just a few miles from my home, about a mile from Blue Bell made for an extra heated afternoon in July. Road closures kept me from my volunteer shift, but the fire was contained in less than an hour.

Blue Bell staff and volunteers corralled 45 cats in preparation for evacuation. Luckily, it was a false alarm, but a useful drill in disaster preparedness—a drill in which I’m sure the cats happily participated.

But it was after all, summertime, and the livin’ was, at times, easy…

Especially at the Orange County Fair!

Oh those cute farm animals!

An indoor tennis match…

My summertime job tending the booth of fused glass artist, Maggie Spencer during one of my favorite events, The Sawdust Festival:

I learned the fine art of sales and mastered the credit card machine, which was quite a feat for a gal who’s spent her career pushing paper.

Cat lady enjoying a languid Labor Day weekend on Main Beach with Stephanie and Lori, who was sitting next to me.  She’s camera shy.

I stepped out onto my deck this morning and a cool gust blew yellow and red leaves off the liquid amber.

The cats have become more animated. Lexington, once again is following me around the house with an ongoing commentary in cat lingo chirps and meows. Topper is back to chasing his “imaginary friend” up and down the stairs. And I have been able to enjoy a temperate breeze coming through the open windows of my loft, no longer having to run the air conditioner. Hellooo autumn!