SPRING HAS SPRUNG

[Jeepers]

It was pretty nice here today. I think it might have hit 80.

 

All I did was mow the back yard. I had to pick up a bunch of sticks first though. I missed some. The mower didn't like that and let me know about it. Not a good sound running over them. Yikes. The grass was getting tall. Mostly because I only mow it every other time.

 

Son said he saw some snakes back there the last time he was here. I was scared half to death I was going to pick up a snake instead of a stick. I kept telling myself. "Do not scream and run if you see one. Walk away and pretend you are normal." Fortunately, I didn't see any so I didn't get a chance to put my self imposed command into action.

[dogmom4]

Well, it didn't hit 105..only 102. Problem is it isn't cooling down at night. Right now it's 91 at 9:45 and the air quality is terrible because we are in a valley...so opening windows isn't a good idea.

[Mt_Rider]

Y'all are SCARING me about heading out to the Midwest right now.

 

MtRider ....see you when I get back

[dogmom4]

Have a great trip!

[Jeepers]

We'll all be here waiting for you!

[Daisy56]

Have a great trip and enjoy yourself

[carr]

Stay safe carr. We've been seeing pictures on the news of how bad it is there.

 

It's noon, the thermometer says..... 110* in the shade.

Thanks. We're good so far, but got another good downpour today. Beats the drought we've been fighting for years.

[Annarchy]

Hot today.

 

Glad the drought is being relieved, carr. Amen.

 

[Jeepers]

Sheeesh Annie, you guys are going to have to start using the kind of thermometers they use in hell.

[Annarchy]

Sheeesh Annie, you guys are going to have to start using the kind of thermometers they use in hell.

 

 

But, they say it is a dry heat.

 

Like sticking your head in the oven.

 

 

We expect it every year. That's why I love listening to everyone say what the temps are. Summer is our "shut in" season, where winter is yours. Our windows have insulation during the summer. I'd like to cover the entire house with styrofoam and make it a giant ice chest.

[Annarchy]

Still hot, but they say we should cool down to around 110.

 

DH teased me yesterday, asking if I needed my sweater, when I commented I could tell the temperature had dropped. The thermometer said 100.

[dogmom4]

Holey moley Ann! That's ridiculous...how do your animals stand up to that kind of heat?

[The WE2's]

Been in the 80's most of the time and 60's in the night. Rain in small amounts but the garden seems to be doing okay...the wood chips definitely help hold moisture.

[Annarchy]

Holey moley Ann! That's ridiculous...how do your animals stand up to that kind of heat?

 

Grrr goes out in the morning, does his duty and comes back in. He'll go out a few times in the day, but quickly returns to the AC. The hens are up against the shed for shade. They get a little sun in the morning and some in the evening. They stand around with their mouths open. I usually water a couple of areas in their coop so they can sit on cooler ground.

 

You can see all the birds are struggling with it this year, they stand around in the shade of the trees with their mouths open, even the woodpeckers. IDK if it is because there is no water around, but, the flocks that come into my yard are intriguing. Several species take baths in the dishes, one likes to come and sit in it. LOL. My garden seems to be their favorite spot recently, because I've been keeping it watered. Funny to watch them follow the trails and hide under the leaves. The other day, I counted over 25 different species of birds sharing the water dishes I keep full.

 

I guess it is like winter in Alaska, I can not imagine how someone could handle that much cold. I was born here in this little town and the cold rocks my world.

[The WE2's]

Been in the mid 90's for a couple of days but there's been some wind so it's tolerable. If we leave Abby-girl in her kennel for any length of time we make sure she's got cold water with some ice dumped in it and we wet the paving stones down...she's not on dirt or grass...so it's nice and cool. With the tarp over her kannel it's her Canostoga hideout! We never leave her very long, but she's taken to dragging things out in the house. She never touched a thing for her first 4 years and now...she's started "stealing" things. We drap table clothes over all the end tables, block off our bedroom and she still finds "something" to drag out and chew up :-( Last time it was a small bottle of eye-glass cleaner that she fished off my bedroom dresser...so now it's closed off. Can't figure her out. Thought maybe spending some time outside while we're gone might distract this behavior and we can get back to her normal sweet self!

[Jeepers]

Strange weather up here. It barely got up to 80 all week. Saturday it's supposed to be 92 for one day and then Sunday and the rest of the week back down to the 70's. Might get some storms too.

 

I mowed the yard and ran all of my errands today so tomorrow I'll just stay inside.

[Jeepers]

Ugh. It's 93 here today.

Or as Annarchy would say, "We are having a cold snap."

 

I don't know what it is about this house but it stays cool in the summer. It isn't well insulated and only has single pane windows. I haven't even turned on the fan today. I do dress 'lite' but still... Upstairs is a different story. Well duh, it's a two story house. Anyhoo, it does get hot up there.

 

I didn't do a darn thing today. I just ordered a pizza and after I pick it up, Pappa John and I will dine and continue on doing nothing. Yep, it's that kinda day here today. I'm lovin'it. Oh...speaking of lovin' it, think I'll swing by McDonalds and pick up a couple of sweet teas while I'm out.

[sassenach]

yeh,its still cold and gloomy here, supposed to be raining but theres not much, very cool weather for right now. had to have lights on all day yesterday and should today. not good .

need togo to store but may wait on that, not sure if this storm will kick up and its cool enough if I get soaked its not fun.

got the beach boys radio station on pandora, going to work on my story writing I guess, call dad. Is it actually Fathers Day? Callmy son if the power stays on I guess. Getting blustery. need to check radar, have a great day all you dads out there if it is Fathers day. I dont have an accurate calendar I figured out. So it's why I ask.

[The WE2's]

We've been struggling with the mid to upper 90's for several days. Praying for some rain to top off our rain barrels. That's our only watering source right now, until son gets moved. He's supposed to know Monday I guess. Said he's only have 5 days to occupy the new apartment. Once he's moved and the water's in our name then we'll have access to "our own" property ... totally :-) Picked up two more compost balls and a small wood chipper at a farm sale. That will make three compost bins and one compost "corner" and the chipper with be wonderful for mulching leaves and small branches.

[Jeepers]

It was in the upper 80's here today. It looks like rain but it's been doing that all week. It clouds up and then nothing. I ran some errands today and all I could think about was how thankful I was that I got my hair cut. It sure makes a huge difference on these hot days!

[Mt_Rider]

Welllllllllll......I survived the Midwest heat/humidity. Only by staying in A/C. I had 2 RN's in our reunion. One was my main host/driver. And yes.....my body gave her an experience of my heat meltdowns. I'd prepped her with my GetCoolQUICK procedures. After that incident, SHE was the one to remember the ice packs and gel packs. Fortunately, we got it stopped pretty quickly. But she saw how badly/quickly I stop thinking. Spasms are painful but not life-threatening. Just the exterior and internal temperature differences evening out, we think. All we'd done was stop at a shopping area to stretch our legs on the trip. In and out of car in various places in hot, steaming parking lot. Then in the cool stores. After 45 min of briefly HOT bits....I was in meltdown. Helped to have a McD's handy for a slushy. Prefer malts but slushy cools internally faster. After that, she worried that we were in a space between hospitals. So....she and I discussed what to do if car or A/C stopped. Get me under shade of roadside trees. Douse with the gallons of water I insisted we bring in trunk [and never had to use...they were plan B]. Always had a stiff wind which facilitates evaporation. She was listening closely after seeing it first hand. THIS is what I risk in summer.

 

But our first days were blessedly cool. Then it went to the mid-90's. [MtRider hands Annarchy a sweater for this next report...] Meanwhile, back in the mountains, DH is hoping his taters don't come up yet. It's hot during the day [hot for me] but night time lows are between 25 degrees and 35 degrees. Mostly still in upper 20's.

 

I came back from seeing tassels on sweet corn. I saw field corn grow a foot in 5 days. And I've returned to below-freezing at night.

 

 

 

LOL, actually I'm even MORE envious of the gardening/orchard capacity. But living withing A/C all the time....always merely one wall or widow between me and death by hyperthermia.... I feel like when we'd go SCUBA diving in Maui. Inhospitable environment for me.

 

I need to live in a castle with deep cool sub-basement levels for summertime.

 

I did seem to be comfortable in the Midwest, physically, except for the heat factor. I hit the high altitude and But several factors. I pushed hard to SEE & DO while out there. Difficult plane trip home....multiple delays and SCREAMING children. Solved the first with indifference and food/drink packed. Solved the second with my handy EARPLUGS. My hands/feet seem swollen today. Not a usual symptom for me. Slept all nite and had a 3 hr nap. Could sleep again. Hard to tell which factors relate to what. This trip was secondarily, a chance to check out places to move....... No conclusions.

 

Even my curly hair cooperated beyond my expectations!!!! Course, I was hiding within an environmentally controlled air space. LOL

 

Sheeeeesh...think I have to catch another quick nap before feeding..

 

MtRider

Edited June 16, 2016 by Mt_Rider

[Jeepers]

I was wondering how you did with the heat!

 

A split level house or even a tri-level house would be nice for you. We had a split once and the bottom part was half underground. One bedroom, a full bath, laundry room, storage room and family room was down there. It was always much cooler down there. Homesteader put a picture of hers somewhere. Ours was similar.

 

Anyhooo. Glad you are home.

[The WE2's]

Earth contact homes are a blessing to those who need a sustained cooler invironment and utilities are very low :-) Have a friend who lives in one and there's an awning she lowers when the sun comes bearing on her livingroom side. Skylight lets sun into dining/kitchen area with no heat. Winter? :Let's the sun shine into the livingroom area, and baseboard electric in the 2 bedrooms "when" she needs it. Just closes each bedroom door and sets each thermostat accordingly.

[Mt_Rider]

On the last HOT/HUMID morning we visited an old fort/museum. The building was used for sorting, storing and shipping furs in those days. Only secondarily a fort. We toured and I had to climb into the upper and lower reaches of the old stone and wood buildings. In the trading post it had a second floor, ground level, basement......and sub-basement. That's what I'd like. Only I'd reverse the order of use.

 

I'd store heat-impervious stuff on the upper floors....maybe move bedrooms there in winter. I'd have some main stuff on ground level. I'd have cooking and some root cellar storage in the basement. Lessee...the sub-basement would have sleeping-lounging areas. Even that didn't cool me down much...and I was getting overheated in this last expedition. But I'd have more root cellar storage on this level too. And an ice house carved into the sub-basement wall?

 

After exploring all these buildings, sat in the trading post and talked with the museum guy. Held frosty gel packs to my head, neck, upper chest until I had cooled down some. It was uphill back to the car. Made it in small increments and resting under the marvelous TREES that arch over paths and roads EVERYWHERE in the Midwest. Couldn't get enough of the trees! Our conifers create an bitty little circle of shade. Those majestic oaks, maples, hickories, sycamores, locusts..... Oh my! I saw an oak that might get registered on the historic trees registry. It had a HUGE shade circle. Held THREE different swings and a set of rings to play on. A whole playset under it's massive branches and shade. I LOVED the trees!!!!

 

MtRider

[Jeepers]

That place sounds delightful. I was just looking at porches last night for some ideas. I came across this picture below and thought, "I'd like to live there."