The combination of heat and humidity last night was staggering, but I decided that if other people were going to show up, I should too. As I walked to the site I thought, "This isn't so bad. Maybe I'm actually acclimatizing?" Six of us turned out, a respectable number considering the weather.

The task for the evening was uprooting tansy and Queen Anne's Lace, both alien to our area. I have nothing against tansy, but I don't mind digging it up if it doesn't belong. Queen Anne's Lace, though -- that's a tough one for me. I've always loved it. I'm sure I'll eventually acquiesce in the name of good stewardship, but I might just leave it 'til last on my Search and Destroy list.

(For stunning close-up photos of Queen Anne's Lace, check out this site.)

We seized our shovels and got busy. I made it through six or eight clumps of tansy and a couple of dog-strangling vines, and then -- wham, sick and dizzy all over, despite lots of water. I hung around for another half hour or so, trying to cool off and get back in the game, but it was no use. In the end Charity, who lives up to her name, drove me home. The others kept working but did wrap up earlier than usual.

Lesson learned -- don't push it in this heat!