Exhausted by the summer

In East Yorkshire we have had barely any rain since March and had a hosepipe ban for about a month. I could count the cold, rainy days on one hand so I am really ready for Autumn and a change in weather.

After doing some light pruning yesterday, I spent the afternoon with a Shield Bug crawling inside my top! 😲

And then there's all the creepy crawlies .....!

I know exactly what you're saying!

Ever since I was a baby, I've always HATED summer/sun/heat. At school, we were forced to do boring outdoor activities like rounders, etc., in scorching weather, and I was always being shouted at for ''not doing it right'' or whatever. Sports day bored me to death at the best of times, but especially in summers when I couldn't breathe, thumping headaches, hair and clothes sticking to me like glue, lack of sleep and so on.

When I was on my period, the weather made it worse in summer.

Give me winters every time!

Oh we love this weather, as long as it's not in the 30's. Love wearing light summer clothes, strappy tops and tee shirts, with shorts. I love cold water swimming, not so much DH, so it's usually with my girl friends. Not very keen when the temperature drops though.

Our blackberries always fruit in about July/August, probably a it earlier than the wild ones.

Our trees are still in the growth phase, so we don’t get the feeling that autumn is near yet, I think you’re right Allira, it must be at least partly related to how much rain different areas have had. My crops generally aren’t early either, the apples are still little bullets. My outdoor tomatoes are out performing themselves though, they love the sun, they are fruiting earlier and more prolifically that usual.

Some trees are suffering from false autumn, because of the drought conditions earlier in the year.

We have a fairly young tree in the garden, the leaves of which turned autumnal so we thought, but they actually look burnt. We thought it was established but it obviously needed extra help. We've been giving it a gallon or two of water regularly since and now it's rained so 🤞.

The other thing that has happened is that the harvest has come forward several months. The long summer holiday, that used not start until the very end of July and went on to mid September was set so that children would be home to help bring the harvest in.

This year we were doing a lot of driving around the country in late June and early July and everywhere the grain crops were ripe and being harvested and the harvest is now nearly over.

I was reading a book published in the 1860s recently and a farmer talks about getting the harvest in, in September (in Norfolk).

My birthday is mid/late August and I was complaining last year that I was meant to have a summer birthday, but last year it was already, smelling like Autumn and the sunlight had begun to take on that orange hue so characteristic of Autumn.

We are with DD at the moment and she was saying that the trees that surround her house already have that tired look of trees waiting to turn.

I smell autumn in the mornings now

Strange you should say that, it felt a bit autumnal this evening. I remember that it never felt like that until mid-September a few years ago, August was always a warm month, often quite hot with balmy evenings.

I needed to do several big outdoor jobs this summer eg emptying lots of soil while bone dry. I am downsizing certain heavy items on my very large patio and I have to do that now while the soil in planters is easier to handle

I do not enjoy the hot weather, we are all different, if it gets to over 25 then I make the slightly cooler cave ready and do any allotment work at 5.30 am

The plants are heading fast into autumnal mode, squashes and apples becoming very large and I am throes of picking autumn raspberries. My circadian rhythm is run by the seasons and I smell autumn in the mornings now

I am not wishing my life away, I can still do nice things outside if I am early enough and that includes short cycle rides. However this year, yes I feel exhausted

For me it isn’t just the hot/humid weather but how very busy things become. The buses, the trains, the shops etc. And we live near the sea side so is crammed at this time of year. Most locals look forward to autumn for this reason 🤨

Grandma70s

I can’t wait for summer to end. My least favourite season. I like Autumn best. It’s visually beautiful, comfortable and has an element of mystery. Summer is just too extrovert! My favourite month is October. It used to be September, but now September just seems like part of summer.

I always think of September as summer - it can feel a wee bit nippy first thing, though.

I love long, hot summer days when I am lucky enough to be on holiday with a swimming pool to dip into.
Eating outdoors is also great - not possible in a British winter.

Whitewavemark2

The summer can go on forever as far as I am concerned.

Me too!

BlueBelle

I quite understand people like different things and that’s totally fine of course BUT what gets me going is the fact we have so little summer so little warmth and light and yet still you ‘winter people’ begrudge us every ounce of sun every bit of warmth and you long for the 9 or 10 months of cold wet miserable and grey winter

Can’t you just be glad for us and allow us just this tiny period of light and warmth and love with good grace 🌞

Where has anybody said they begrudge you the hot weather? I don’t, I’d love to enjoy summer but it makes me feel quite ill, headachey and listless. I hate the heat, the brightness, the clothing (lack thereof!), everything. In the north east of Scotland we almost have midnight sun and sleep isn’t always easy. So please enjoy the summer and allow us to enjoy the winter. 😊

buffyfly9

I'm with you Biscuitmuncher, I can't wait for winter, I've had enough of the oppressive heat, the humidity, the airless nights and the flies, there seem to be more this year. Roll on lighting the fire, toasted crumpets and a nice cup of tea.

Yes, it's the humidy that drains me. Roll on Autumn.
I'm looking forward to nice cool fresh breeze.

I’m in the north west. We rarely have very hot weather so on the rare occasions when we do, I stop and these days sadly need to sit in the shade

I'm not exhausted by the summer but I hate the lack of routine that comes with it.

Quick shopping trip yesterday, shelves full of Halloween rubbish, well rubbish to me, I want to see summer dresses, pretty summery things not ghoulish masks.
I love the summer, the sunshine, the light, my bones love the heat. If I hear anyone even murmur, it’s starting to feel autumnal, I’m gone, no thanks, I’m in my shorts, flip flops till at least mid October, G&T in garden till it gets dark……

I like summer (when it’s not too stinking hot) but I do usually look forward to the autumn, too. I dare say it dates back to childhood, looking forward to Bonfire Night (Halloween was hardly a thing where we lived) and the so-exciting run up to Christmas.

Nowadays I look forward to cooking colder-weather things, all those lovely thick soups, relatively cheap to make too, with lots of seasonal veg. Autumn is after all the ‘Season of mists and mellow soupfulness’….

I don’t recall ever feeling like this when younger. I think our anxiety has taught us to dread the end of summer and oncoming winter even as early as September until the following March (UK).

There were clear “highlights” of each season such as traditional Halloween, then Bonfire night(not bonfire month though) then the l-o-n-g run up to Christmas (sorry) a bit of downtime after New year, maybe some snow, possibly a “snow day” off! YEH!!

Next up was clocks forward then Easter, lots of Choc and other traditional fare, then lighter nights , fresh air walks out and the promise of school summer holidays, wearing lighter clothing, warmth on the face along with the anticipation of moving up a class or a new school in September.

Electric fans are brilliant for the heatwaves, ditch the duvets get a massive flat sheet and a bedspread, stock up the freezer with ice cubes. Blackout curtains help keep heat out, so lounge whenever you get chance to whether indoors or out, get a daft hat, read those books and articles you’ve been saving, play your favourite summer music.
Don’t take on exhausting jobs at home that can wait for a rainy day: one will come along all too soon.

Then, we could all “prep” ourselves for winter better with warm clothing, comforting things to do and nice but a bit naughtier things to cook and eat on those longer nights, (other than just watching others cook the perfect this or that on TV) though I do so love a box set and the return of favourites in the autumn...
make home a destination of coziness and light. Get all the lamps on and don’t fret about Christmas. It comes it goes.

Oreo

Mind you I love a good Summer thunderstorm ⚡️

🤗👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

BlueBelle

I quite understand people like different things and that’s totally fine of course BUT what gets me going is the fact we have so little summer so little warmth and light and yet still you ‘winter people’ begrudge us every ounce of sun every bit of warmth and you long for the 9 or 10 months of cold wet miserable and grey winter

Can’t you just be glad for us and allow us just this tiny period of light and warmth and love with good grace 🌞

I can’t see anywhere in my post where I BEGRUDGE you and other people’s fondness for warm weather,I am just stating my own personal preference for winter weather ⛈️⛈️⛈️⛈️

We had horribly high temps here in the SE a couple of weeks ago but school holidays have broken the charm so now we have cooler and at times wetter weather which suits me and the garden but probs not the school kids who sweltered through hot temps at school then broke up as the skies opened. Is still humid heavy weather though which has sparked a cluster of migraines so still not ideal.
Am afraid I don’t like hot weather, warm fresh weather is my happy medium.