A Soggy Summer

How do people feel about the summer this year in Ontario?

It's fabulous.
It's too hot and sunny.
It's been much wetter than usual.

True or False.

True Usually July is hot and sunny.
False July and August are the best months for spending time inside.
False The dog days are the rainiest days of summer.
True When Leslie feels cold she makes a pot of tea.
False She likes to play hockey on summer mornings.
True If it rains too hard to play tennis they go for a run.
True When she checks the forecast the temperature is below normal.
True Gardens look lush and wonderful.
True It's good weather for ducks.
False It has been a very profitable year for berry growers.
True Corn and tomatoes are growing very slowly.
True Potato blight is a fungus.
False There has been a lot of smog too.
True It's a good idea to take an umbrella in case it rains.


For Canadians, at least in Southern Ontario and Quebec, this summer has been a bit of a washout so far. Usually July is hot and sunny and everyone enjoys complaining about the hot, humid weather. July and August are usually the best months for spending time outside; camping, swimming at the beaches and hanging out at pools. We are usually sweltering in the dog days of summer by now. We call the hottest days of the summer the dog days. But this year it has been cool and windy and soggy. It seems as though every time I look at the sky there are dark clouds hovering there. And just when I think the temperature is going to climb, cool air breezes back in. I asked my friend Cliff, how he is enjoying his new air conditioner and he said, "What air conditioner? We've used the furnace more than the air conditioning this summer!" I have resisted turning on my furnace. Instead when I feel cold I make a hot meal or some tea and put on a sweater. I still wear shorts when I get up early to play tennis with my buddy, Marilyn. But I really have to get moving to stay warm. Yesterday morning, it was raining so hard that we couldn't play tennis at all. So we left our racquets at my house, put on our jackets and went for a walk instead. We played again this morning. But after 45 minutes it began to rain lightly. We just kept playing until finally we had to stop because of the droplets on our glasses. We simply couldn't see well enough to play any longer. Every time I check the forecast, the temperature is well below normal for this time of year and it seems that every couple of days we get more rain. Last Friday afternoon it rained so heavily that the street was filled with water. Heavy rain came teeming straight down for about half an hour. It's good weather for ducks. Gardens look lush and wonderful and lawns look green and healthy. But farmers are hoping for some sun and heat to help their crops grow. Certainly the weather was unkind to strawberry farmers this year. Local strawberries were not plentiful because there wasn't enough sun to help them ripen fully and many of the berries simply rotted on the plants. So it was a disappointing season and less profitable year for berry growers. Corn and tomatoes and other crops are growing very slowly this year too. The lack of sunshine and heat is stunting the growth of many crops. If the wet weather continues mould will bcome a worry too. And there have been reports of a potato blight, a fungus, affecting potato crops in Ontario. On the upside however, there have been fewer smog alerts. In other words the air quality has been better. Today it's about 16 degrees Celsius right now and even though I see some gray clouds in the sky, the sun is shining. So I'd better get out and soak up some sun before it disappears again. And I think I'll take my umbrella just in case!