A little water ...

 my Hollyhocks

Last night on the way home there were crowds of people in the streets ... stalls were hawking food and toys, some people all dressed their best. It's not quite Eid al Adha yet ... it begins tonight ... but already people are celebrating a day early.

The weather hasn't stopped them though. A sweltering 40 degrees yesterday ... and today as well. The wind is extremely hot and dry ... and the ground is like an oven plate. The soles of my shoes were melting as it got pretty sticky. That's a kilometer's walk in this heat. And thank goodness I still have my portable aircon. Sleeping would have been impossible in this heatwave. I also have to sprinkle water on our terrace otherwise the cracks will widen because of heat expansion. It's a yearly thing to do during summer otherwise rain will leak into the building in winter through these cracks.

A little water

Even the plants are wilting. I water them once in the morning and then again in the evening. The soil turns to powder in this heat. And the water that collects at the plates of the flower pots are visited by insects and birds that come to drink. I'm particularly happy the hollyhocks have bloomed after 3 years. Bees and butterflies come to it for nectar ... and doves and bulbuls drink from the water at the pot's base. I think I should also leave a bowl of water for the stray cats. I can't imagine the poor people who have no electricity for fans, or even fresh water to cool themselves. Summer, l;ke winter can be merciless ... and it's up to humans to make up for this mercy.