Dog Days Of Summer

The weatherman says that we are in the dog days of summer here in Alabama, and there’s no question about that. Yesterday was in the high 90s, with a heat index of 109. Even well after the sun went down, when I stepped outside on the deck with Alli at 11 p.m. the heat and humidity seemed to envelope us.

Several people have asked why we would live in a place like this, or Florida, where the heat is so ungodly for so long during the summer. But it’s no different than people who live in the upper Midwest or New England or any place where they have months of bitter cold weather and stay inside as much as possible. The only difference is, come summer they have to deal with heat and humidity, too. So they can be uncomfortable all year round. At least here we have a bunch of months in the fall and winter when it’s very nice. Everything in life is a compromise.

In a blog last week, I mentioned that someone told us about portable room air conditioning units and how efficient they could be. The room in the back of the house that we use for our office is mostly windows facing east. It started life as a porch that was later enclosed, and there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of insulation. Even though we have a window AC unit back here, it doesn’t do us a lot of good. So we started researching the portable air conditioner units and settled on a Black + Decker 12,000 BTU four-in-one unit that is an air conditioner, humidifier, heater, and fan.

It arrived the other day and Terry and I installed it, which basically involved running the vent hose out a window using a supplied kit. So far we are impressed with it. The unit has a remote control, is mounted on wheels to easily move around, and during the hottest part of the day yesterday it brought the room down to 76 degrees. In the evening it gets the room downright chilly, even though it’s over 80 outside. I think it’s much more efficient than a window air conditioner. They make them in different sizes and capacities, and this one seems to be just about right for our needs. Hopefully it will make the next couple of months bearable back here until the temperatures start to ease up sometime in late September.

Today is your last chance to enter our Free Drawing for an autographed copy of Terry’s cookbook, Miss Terry’s Kitchen, full of delightful and delicious recipes that are sure to make you a hit with your family and friends.

To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn this evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books and audiobooks to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed. After 90 days, unclaimed prizes revert back to the drawing pool for a future contest.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us. I’ve never been in this place, but it seems like somebody doesn’t have a leg to stand on.

Thought For The Day – I’d drink more water if it was frozen and surrounded by Pepsi.