Hot Chicken

It's June, the month when the winds abate and the heat begins, the month before the relief of July's afternoon monsoon clouds.

By 9 AM on Sunday it was 95 degrees. I was working on our shed roof when Julie called me for lunch. The temperature was 104. By the time I finished eating it had climbed to 106.7 degrees and the humidity had dropped to 9 percent. One hundred degrees with low humidity and a breeze isn't bad if out of the sun. Later in the afternoon I worked a while longer until I decided I had enough sun on my legs.

Julie is caring for a neighbor's chickens and cats. Her first visit was on Friday and the chickens were out of water. She got a bowl of water while I found, cleaned and filled a watering can.

I think the last time I had chickens was in 1978. We moved to a small rural community and my son who was 8 or 9 years old asked for chickens and pigs. I told him he might get chickens but don't count on pigs. Within a few months we had chickens, nine pigs, rabbits, and dogs.

Hopefully next year we'll be prepared for chickens. Watching and listening to them is soothing and relaxing.


106.7 degrees outside; 83.5 degrees inside.



Thirsty chickens drinking from a bowl while waiting for a watering can to be cleaned and filled.



Watering can.



Collecting eggs.