Interesting experiment, Drhort. I don't know if it's too big a risk to leave the polytunnel closed or not. I do know that it gets well over a hundred in the shade down here on a regular basis & the okra loves it. Even without mulch, when the soil temp at 1" is likely as high as you're seeing. As temps get hotter, I'd imagine you'll need to vent it atleast during the hottest part of the day, but I really don't know for sure. Let us know what happens, would you?

Where is my brain today? Not 100C and 90C, but 100F and 90F. Lordy.

Bowl emptier could be a raccoon. For the first time in daylight, I saw one about noon yesterday. Large, walking along the perimeter wooden fence until the neighbor's yard. I figured he was going for a drink in her many ground bird baths... but she was busy scrubbing them out. About 3 pm he appeared at one of my table birdbath dishes, standing with his hind legs up on the tree trunk behind, and his paws on the table... I think he was familiar with this dish! (And then he spent a long time nearby digging in the leaves for uneaten birdseed thrown earlier.) I had suspected raccoons were pursuing water in my yard at night, from the overturned containers. Like you said, DG, we are in the midst of a SCORCHER! Thankfully the alligators don't need to hunt for water!

Cold chinese noodles (either spicy kind of like Dan Dan Mien,or with a peanut/lime sauce - both with cold vegetables: cucumber, snow peas, carrot, bean sprouts etc. Cole slaw is a frequent side dish in summer, too. Fruit and cottage cheese - I just picked the last of the cherries, and the blueberries are coming on strong! Strawberries have been on sale too. This week I've been on a salad tear - found my current favorite salad mixes at Kroger marked down to a dollar, so bought 5 of them (all different blends) and have been eating them, supplemented with the last of my lettuce and my arugula, with a different protein every day.