Some people just didn't bother to venture out to brave the heat Tuesday.
Many Chatham residents stayed at home in their air conditioning, taking advantage of the power in their homes. There were two-thirds fewer people at Colony Pool Tuesday than there were Monday.
Some, however, came to the pool to cool off from the heat, which caused thermometers everywhere around the area to climb into the triple digits. Today's weather won't be much better—a heat advisory remains in effect until 8 p.m.
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"At one point in the day today, my car thermometer read 109 degrees," Nancy Gayer said Tuesday at the pool. She had just gotten back from a weekend in the Adirondacks, where the temperature was a chilly 54 degrees. "Given the choice of the two," said Gayer, "I think I'd choose the 54 degree temperature."
Cindy Murphy was watching her two children swim in the water and decided to join them in the shallow end. "The place to be is in the water," said Murphy.
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Others mixed things up a bit. Stacey Osucha was at Colony with her children, but said she doesn't generally stay there all day with them.
"We pool hop," Osucha said. "We've been back and forth to Lifetime Fitness in Florham Park and here at Colony. The kids love it."
Her daughter Kaitlyn and son Zachery were busy on the hot sand, paying no attention to the heat while intently focused on their sand structure.
Bertha and Jim Kennedy have been Chatham residents for over 50 years and were sitting under their favorite tall oak tree.
"Yesterday was the warmest the water has ever been (at Colony Pool), " said Jim Kennedy.
His son, he said, works for Jersey Central Power & Light and was working all night and all day to help restore power to those who lost it over the past couple of days.
At 7 p.m., Gabriella's Homemade Ice Cream shop on Main Street in Chatham was completely empty. But Amanda Fatio, who was working at the store, said she thought people were still at the pools, since they close at 8 p.m.
Sure enough, about a half hour later, several people came inside to order treats.
Brothers Cory and Justin Hayes stopped in to have a cool cup of ice cream. Cory Hayes explained that they walked from the Supper Restaurant a few doors down.
"My parents gave us money and sent us down here," said Hayes.
The air was so warm in and out of the shop that the ice cream was melting before most could eat it.
