It IS the heat!

Humidity or not, it's been entirely too HOT here (for me) this whole month .....
Here is one cool spot I found this morning- standing on the Chain Bridge over the Merrimac, soaking up a streaming river of cool air. So what if it's only an onshore breeze? It was at least 10 degrees cooler than the air hanging over the town.

Plus, the bridge provided a little history lesson:

I like this older plaque better, though, because it includes the part about the oxen:

The island you can drive to....

This is the Plum Island River, without which Plum Island wouldn't even be an island!   There's a two-lane road from Newburyport to the island, with a small bridge over the river.  Nice place to get off your bike and watch the outgoing tide.

Not a nice place to be in the event of an "event" at the Seabrook nuclear plant up the road, though.

If you have to use an outhouse.....

I recommend this one in Essex, MA.  It's at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum, where they restore old wooden boats.

Side view.  Welcome to Essex!

It has a nice hand-crafted door latch,

and a counterweight on a pulley to swing the door closed.

This outhouse even has interior decor,

 quality reading material,

and a great view when you walk out!