Officially 100 degrees today, 103 on my front porch, with a heat index of around 110 — and I made a decision a couple years ago not to run air conditioning here at the farm. Folks seem shocked when they learn that, but hey! folks around here didn’t even have electricity to run fans until ’49, so I consider myself kind of fortunate to have that!
Here’s some fun ways I beat the heat:
Get up early to do housework, what little is actually being done on these hot days.
Have a stack of quiet projects to do in the afternoon — scrapbook materials, books to read, magazines to enjoy, music to play, movies to watch.
Run lots of fans. Sit in the middle of them.
Soak in a cool tub with a good book.
If I’m not reading at night, or using the webcam talking with a friend, I don’t run many lights.
Cook on the grill a couple of times a week.
Shower using either Tom’s or Doctor Bonner’s mint soaps — the mint tingles on the skin and leaves you feeling “cool” for a long time after you get out of the tub.
Iced tea is an absolute “must” in the South — sun tea to avoid adding cooking heat to the kitchen.
I have some shorts and tops I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing in public, but they sure help me stay cooler and more comfortable at home.
I try not to run any sort of errands during the heat of the day. The store’s air conditioning may feel good, but it’s too unpleasant adjusting to the extra heat of my car and back to the house. If I can’t go early in the day, I wait until late when the sun isn’t beating directly down on my head.
A cool shower immediately before bed — no drying off! just lying in bed with the fan blowing on wet skin. Usually I fall asleep before I dry off.
Oh — and God bless my dear neighbors who’ve given me an open invite to come jump in their pool any time!