How many times a day do people complain about the heat?

Well, they’re not wrong. It is hot. Last Monday, Waco put its 1951 record high to shame by inching past it to a steaming 106 degrees. By Sunday, Waco was on its 23rd triple-digit day.

Jake Hanes, 9, stays cool by tubing on Lake Waco during the weekend.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald

The mercury peaked at 104 degrees shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday, according to meteorologist Jessica Schultz, making Sunday the 23rd consecutive day of triple-digit heat this year. The run ties for sixth place with Aug. 3-25, 1952.

It’s glaring, steamy, breathtaking and skin-pinkening outside, but there’s more to this heat wave than meets the squinting eye.

It may shock you to know that there are a few upsides to this sauna called summer. To turn your hot, sweaty frown around, we offer 10 reasons to see the summer as an icy, dripping lemonade glass that’s half-full, not half-empty:

1. Make cookies in the car: How many times have you complained that your car feels like an oven? So, make the most of it and bake cookies in it.

A cookie sheet and some slice-and-bake dough on the dashboard for at least an hour do the trick. They come out gooey but delicious.

2. Sun tea: Is there any other way to make tea? You need a jar, water, tea bags and sun and a little time.

3. Drying clothes outside: Save some energy and skip the dryer cycle. No clothesline? No problem. Drag a drying rack outside. Clothes will smell like sunshine and be ready to wear in no time.

4. Save your hot water: The Texas heat has a tendency to warm up the water in the cold water faucet.

So when you go to run a bath or shower, you actually should need less water from your water heater to raise the temperature. While saving hot water from the hot water heater, you should save some energy, too.

Waco High varsity cheerleader Courtney Franks grabs a sponge Saturday during a carwash benefiting the squad.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald

5. Fewer earaches: Some children struggle with recurrent ear infections and seemingly unending viral upper respiratory infections and constant nasal drip with allergies. These tend to get better in summer.

So children who struggle with these feel better, exercise better and sleep better in the summer.

6. Arthritis eases: People who battle with arthritis find their joint aches and stiffness get much worse in the cold, so they are able to be more active and move more freely in summer.

7. Chases SAD away: Many people struggle with seasonal affective disorder. When it is bright and warm, their moods soar; when it’s cold and shorter daylight, their moods plummet.

8. More Vitamin D: There are a significant number of people who struggle with fatigue related to low Vitamin D.

This is helped by the abundant sunshine of the summertime.

9. Good for some green things: The heat of the summer is when some plants like Lantana flourish, and the heat often kills off the less desirables, such as lawn fungus.

10. Butterflies like it: The deep part of summer is when some of the biggest, most colorful butterflies tend to be more active.

Sources: Tim Martindale, a Waco family medicine physician, and Mark Barnett, Master Gardener and certified nursery professional and landscape designer.

wgragg@wacotrib.com

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