Life Without AC

Today was so hot that we almost looked up the number for an HVAC guy.  Really.  How long do you suppose it would take them to get here and replace our system? 

Since starting our crazy air conditioning free experiment, we’ve learned a lot.  Using those lessons, we can stay cool enough on most days.  We open the windows at night and pull in that fresh, cool air along with the sounds of frogs and crickets.  Quite lovely, really.  Well, most of the time…

Mother nature let us down on the free AC last night.  When I woke up this morning, it was still 80 degrees in here!  I was breaking a sweat just making breakfast.  By late afternoon, it was 86+ degrees in my kitchen.  I don’t mind temperatures of 82-83, but 86 is a bit much.  Maybe, we’re not ready for this.  Maybe, I’m a wimp.

I’m definitely ready to plant some shade trees.  I am also wishing we would have taken the time and effort to get the pool up this year.  Those two things would make this much more bearable, but as it is we have no escape except the library.  Those poor librarians.  

Still, we survived a very hot night and day with no real or serious complaints.  We played in the kids’ little wading pool this afternoon and spent a bit of time down in the basement watching a movie.  I went out at nap time to pick some veggies in the garden and came in to take a very, very cool shower. 

I won’t say today was easy.  We knew there would be some hot summer days to survive and some uncomfortable nights.  Today definitely qualified.  I think a cooler stretch of weather is in the forecast.  C’mon, mid 80’s and breezes.  

Stay cool, y’all!  Think I’ll go pour a glass of iced tea.

 

By the way, and just to be fair…  You should know that we do have a window a/c unit in our kitchen so that we can have guests and they don’t pass out.  We don’t use it at all on most days, but I was glad to crank that thing up while we were eating dinner, tonight.  It doesn’t cool the house, but it does make the kitchen a comfortable escape when needed (I think it got down to about 83).  I wish we could do without it, but we just aren’t there yet.  Our visitors are certainly not ready for the higher temps because their bodies have not been conditioned for it.  Hopefully I’ll keep learning ways to keep everyone comfortable.  That, or I’ll just throw in the towel and call the HVAC guys.  ;)

So, what do you think?  Could you live without AC?  Do you remember life before AC?  How do/did you stay cool?