Oppressive August and September heat waves blanketed SoCal with high temps and high humidity. My new air conditioning system was installed during a heat wave, and my house is now comfortable.
The result? An urge to celebrate with a dinner party, christened a house “cooling” party by my son. My dinner parties are opulent affairs (wink- wink-) with one-to-three socially-distanced guests and their dogs. My son and grand-dog (Finn) visited with me, Libby (my dog), Hazel (Libby’s other best canine friend), and Hazel’s owners.
Hazel’s owner, Tim, suggested the photo op for the House Cooling party—wearing heavy coats inside the newly air conditioned house.
And how is this related to writing? I had dinner with my muses. All the canine and human guests are in my books. Hazel was the neighbor’s dog in Emma’s Best Friend is a Robot. The spin-off, Hazel, Hero of Dog Beach, is currently with the illustrator. Finn and Libby have cameos in the second children’s book, and Libby played an important role in the first McGregor mystery. My son is Detective Scott McGregor’s best friend. (My daughter, Scott’s girlfriend, was unable to join us due to prior commitments.) Hazel’s owner, Diana, works in the Fresno Police Records Department and alerted Scott to a clue in his first case. The adults attend Scott’s house parties where Tim often plays and sings.
The following weekend, another heat wave struck bringing temperatures near the one-hundred-degree mark in the full shade … and another air-conditioned, socially-distanced doggy play date / dinner party.
The heat waves aren’t bothering me as much as they used to.
