Hot summers are rare in Seattle. Located near the water, there is always a cool marine influence. This year it has been hot and dry! It happens. If it is going to get hot in Seattle – it will the last two weeks of July and beginning of August. I remember this happening more in the ’70s and ’80s. Hot sweaty nights where there is barely a breeze. It has been years since we have had a week of temperatures in the upper 80s and 90s. For once, I’m actually loving it.

It was very different growing up in the central valley of California. The heat can start as early as March although it usually really gets hot June – September. It can be long stretches of over 100 degree weather. I remember my mother standing over the stove wiping sweat as she cooked dinner. We did not have central heat but we did have tall ceilings to help disperse the heat. We installed three window air conditioners that we would turn on about 11am and we would ‘close up the house’ – basically close off several rooms to keep it cool in the main living areas. In the evenings – if we were lucky – a marine breeze would flow off the delta and bring a breeze. We would open the window and let it cool off the house.

But it was also the time of bounty. We would take drives in the early evening into the country to buy the best peaches in the world. Sometimes a farmer would drive around and sell watermelons out of the back of his pick up. They were so sweet and juicy – just out of the hot fields. I definitely miss the great fruit.

The one good thing about the heat is our tomatoes are ripening. Yeah! We had our first tonight. We had a couple Stupice and a few Sungolds.

Stupice – first to ripen