About a week after the Fourth of July we here in SoCal enterned into the Dog Days of Fire Season. I am now riding out the heat that should last well into October.

As a moderate pale green, I live without air conditioning in the house and car. Car - I don't have the $$$ at any given time to refresh the old school freon. House - I don't feel like paying for some SoCal Edison's executive's family August vacations to Alaska with a $350 electrical bill per month. I like our $23 / month summer electrical bill.

Scruffy is one unhappy hot pup. Ms. Jen is currently sporting a Marge Simpson-like hairdo in the attempt to be cooler, except it is not blue nor do I store my change in the updo.

But the backyard lemon tree is at its absolute happiest that I have seen it in the nearly four years that I have lived here, as it is bearing big, juicy lemons instead of bizarrely shaped lemons with no juice. This evening I plucked three lemons, juice still hot from the day's heat, and made Sangriade.

Ms. Jen's Sangriade:

The juice of 3 lemons
1/4 cup sugar (or more to taste)

Mix together in a jug or quart liquid containter. Shake or stir to dissolve the sugar.

Add 1/2 cup cold water
1 (750 ml) bottle of good red wine (pinot noir or cotes du rhone or Sangre de Toro or shiraz)

Shake again. Serve over ice.

Mighty tasty and refreshing.