How I Deal with the Heat

This little house of mine is going to be 100 in 2026, just 2 years away. So it is not built with the current building codes in mind.

However, I have some ways of keeping cool. One of them is that there are 2 tall American Elm trees behind the house on the south side. There are also some maple trees in the front, plus the west side neighbours have an elm on the line that separates our front lawns. Much as I don't appreciate having to clean up all these tree seeds, and twigs that fall when it gets windy, I realize that they do provide shelter from the summer sun.

I also have a window high up on the east wall that I can crank open; the screen keeps the bugs out, and I've found that leaving that window open at night really cools things down inside for the next day. Even leaving it open all day helps.

I have a window-box air-conditioner in the kitchen window. It faces east and the neighbour's house is only a few feet away, so aside from some early daylight, it doesn't let much sun to shine in. I have that A/C running on the hot days of summer, but turn it off at night.

There is also a white fan just inside this room, which forwards what the A/C brings in for cooler air, and aims it at me at my desk.

Some day I may get to have some dream renovations done to this house, but I have to admit that these small measures keep me fairly comfortable most hot days. (I can always turn up the fan another notch or two, if I'm sweltering.)

However, going out in the early evening to weed my garden and flower beds between 6:30 pm to 8 pm gets me out into the fresh air and by that time the sun is sinking to the west behind a row of neighbours' houses and trees. I'm able to work away in the breezes without feeling hot or uncomfortable in any way.

Just listing all these methods makes me feel so grateful to my Heavenly Father, who gave me this setup.

May you also find free and easy ways to keep cool. The forecast is for daytime temperatures well over 30 Celsius for the next week or so. (I hear the USA is trying to cope with extremely hot temps these days as well.)

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