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06 July 2025

Do you aestivate?


 



I did, last weekend.  Everything was just too much so I aestivated with just about everyone else.  It felt like the only thing to do.  Aestivation is essential for quite a few invertebrates but this vertebrate favours the idea too.

Aestivation is the summer equivalent of hibernation.  It's an adaptation for survival in high temperatures or drought conditions to stop desiccation (drying out) of the animal.  I just use the word for getting through a heatwave!

There are lots of wonderful words associated with summer.  It's the time of frondesence when leaves and plants are in full bloom.  It's a season to long for zephyrs, those lovely breezes.  (Am I showing my age too much when I say that zephyr makes me think of cars?)

I think I might be aestivating again by the end of this week

6 comments:

  1. I remember zephyr cars. My gran used to call buys running shorts "zephyrs" [run like the wind?]

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  2. My uncle had a zephyr. It is the first car I can remember riding in. It is such a lovely word.
    I have been doing quite a bit of aestivating too. I am very glad that I don't live in a permanently hot climate.

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  3. Frondescence is a lovely word!

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  4. I was really pleased to find frondescence having found pruinesence (the beautiful white covering of frost seen on crisp winter days) during the winter.

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