Summer heat is exhausting. The hottest weeks of the year can seem unbearable. BUT this Arizona girl is here to help!
This is how we get through the hottest weeks of June and July, along with 10 projects that you can do on the porch (or inside in the A/C) so you don’t melt in the sun.
Survive the Summer Heat
1. Plan Your Projects Accordingly.
Go with the flow of the seasons. Take a break from the labor intensive projects during the hottest time of the year. Do you make a 6 month plan? If not, use the Summer time to start! Not only does it help you achieve your goals, but it helps you plan according to the weather and other events coming up.
In January, and again in June, my husband and I sit down with a notebook and make a list. We list off everything that we want to work on for the next 6 months. This includes things that need to be done, like; breeding plans, blood draws, and hoof trimming the sheep. Also things we want to do, such as; adding on another chicken run, and getting the garden boxes put together (it is year of the garden after all).
Write down the coming months, and then start assigning projects to those months. You might need to cross off a few projects and move them to next year. You have to prioritize a little.
Remember your project for June or July should not be something that is crazy labor intensive.
2. Ten Projects To Do When It’s Too Hot
If you are really itching to be productive, but know you shouldn’t be out in the sun digging holes for trees, or building a new chicken coop, here are 10 Summer projects that you can do on the porch or in the shade.
1 Clean out the tool shed or garage.
2 Defrost freezers.
3 Plan your next project. That’s right, sit inside and draw up plans for your next project. Watch youtube videos to get ideas and research efficient ways to build it.
4 Build small rabbit cages or new chicken nest boxes.
5 Sew a quilt! We did this last Summer, and it was a great project to work on in the air conditioned house.
6 Reorganize the pantry.
7 Paint the living room.
8 Build flower boxes.
9 Hatch some chicks. For us, it’s warm enough that the chicks don’t need a heat lamp to go outside. Even better, the incubator sits inside the nice cool house so we can watch them hatch.
10 Shop for new garden tools.
3. Wake Up Early
I told you all how much I hate waking up early for irrigation, morning is not usually my favorite time. However, we all know it’s much cooler in the morning. Wake up earlier, even if it’s just 30 minutes, to get outside and take care of the animals. Avoid doing chores in the afternoon that can be done in the morning or evening.
In a few more weeks the afternoon can be a productive time again. The Summer heat is only here for a while.
4. Get Your Clothes Wet Before Doing Farm Chores
This is a great way to cool off when you NEED to check on the animals in the afternoon. We spray down our chicken coop twice in the afternoon on the days when the temperature is over 110 degrees. Especially in the early Summer before anyone is acclimated to the heat. I feel like I’m going to melt, but it needs to be done. So I spray my clothes off with the hose, and it helps cool you down before you get too hot to begin with.
We can survive the Summer, monsoon storms are just around the corner. Or that’s what I keep telling myself. If you saw my Facebook post this evening (see below), we hit 117 degrees. So hot.
Stay cool, and enjoy your Summer!
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