In our quest to be BFF with the environment we decided to forgo air conditioning when HE built our house. Our reasoning was thus:
1. Even when we've had AC in the past, we had only used it on the hottest of days, and then mostly to aid in the comfort of sleeping. Why spend the money installing a system we might only use one or two weeks out of the year? Because we heat our home with the masonry heater and radiant floor heating, there is no duct work in our home. Installing AC would have required a whole nother (major) construction project. Money and time we just didn't have.
2. Our home has super-efficient windows and insulation, along with "thicker" walls. The overhangs on the south side of the house are extra long to prevent the sun from shining directly in during the hottest part of the year. The theory goes that as long as we close up shop before it starts to get too hot, the house should stay relatively cool.
3. We installed ceiling fans to help keep air circulating even when it gets uncomfortably hot.
4. We don't really like it.
Unfortunately, the heatwave this week brought the house temp up to 85, at it's worst. While this was cooler than outside, it wasn't exactly what you'd call comfortable. Fortunately, the heatwave passed after a couple of days.
And we weren't even home on the worst day-Wednesday-our 4-H club was in charge of the "Eat stand" at the county fair for a few hours that day and then the kids and I went to the beach in town afterward to cool off.
MILE also invited us over to their house to cool off if we got too uncomfortable. So I sent Tippy over there for a few hours as she seemed kinda miserable yesterday.
So we do have options if it gets to feeling like we just can't take it anymore~friends, relatives, local haunts in town like the library, movie theater and such~but I also can't help thinking that in the not-too-distant past folks just had to deal with it. And they worked in the heat--regardless. Don't get me wrong--I'm a fan of AC when it's super hot outside. And I'm definitely not one to rise above it and keep weeding the garden (or working in general).
No.
You'll find me horizontal on the couch with an ice cold drink in my hand, probably also whining about how hot it is.
Productive. Yes, I know.
Just being honest.
I would not have done well in the "olden" days. Heck, I'm not doing so well in the... whatever these days are. Thank goodness the weather changes~like everything else in life.
Here is to a moderately hot summer from now through August.
2 comments:
Great family photo! Cheers.
This was a great post. It is interesting...what they did without in the past. But if something doesn't exist, i.e. A/C, how can you miss it.
I miss you guys. A lot.
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