It's that time of year again... the time where the rain comes in very short stints, otherwise called 'scattered showers'. It's the season of beginning drought, the time when the sprinklers are running in order to keep the growing things a healthy green.
It is also the season where the thermometer has stopped it's severe fluctuation, and the mercury seems to have settled somewhere north of 80 degrees, even on the shady front porch. It's the weather that causes me to find a cool place inside the house where I can spend the majority of my time. It's sunny, hot and humid.
It is dilemna time, as well. How long can I take the heat before turning on the AC? Will the ceiling fans alone give me enough relief for awhile longer? Last year I was able to hold out using just the fans until July. It wasn't easy. I'm thinking that with temps already at 90 plus on some days, the electric air will be blowing through here far earlier. In any event, it will be turned on this weekend, I think, because we will have our family here for the holiday, and I want them to feel comfortable, especially since two of them have asthma!
I keep the thermostat set as high as I can that is comfortable. I do this because my husband hates air conditioning, and because if it's too cool inside, you really feel the heat when you go outside. It's like opening the oven door and getting smacked with a blast of hot air. Since my husband, who is always warmer than I am, likes to sit outside regardless of the temperatures, it's not so shocking to his system when he goes in or out.
I will admit it, I am thrifty and another reason to delay the use of the AC is that I'm concerned about the power bill. The electric bill will climb during the months the AC is on. I am conscious of this, but it's the price one has to pay for living with shorter winters. In our former home, we used window fans, and had many trees which kept the house cooler, but the humidity was killer! I'm glad that we have the option of cool comfort in the dog days of summer!
