Tuesday, September 13, 2016

COOL AND CRANKED!





















At bedtime last night, the temperature inside the cottage was 70˚F. and doubtless several degrees less than that outside. Even so, I decided to leave the whole-house fan going—pulling cool air in through every open screen.

When I got up at 5:00 a.m., the outside temperature was a chilly 56˚F…exactly the same as the temperature inside the cottage!

Nope. That's not a complaint!

Fact is, I feel great—energized, rarin' to go. I've already fixed breakfast for Myladylove and myself, washed the dishes, taken a short walk along the river and made a few photos, written next week's column which is due tomorrow, and driven the few miles to my local Home Depot where I spent nearly an hour picking out GFCI plugs, looking at mirrors and vanity lights, and trying to sort through the options for a ventilation system I want to put together and install at this stage of my remodeling job.

That's more stuff accomplished already than I've sometimes managed for an entire day when temperatures climb toward the 100˚F mark!

Life is is not a beach…it's frost on your pumpkin. I'm cranked when it's cool!
–––––  
       

8 comments:

Penny said...

Sounds as if you are almost human again, glad it is cooler.Here I could do with it being a bit less wet and a bit warmer, but that will happen soon enough.

Gail said...

Hi Grizz - you are very productive - nice!! And I SO agree - the cooler temps boost one's energy and productivity. It is cooler here as well -thank goodness. :-) The staining job on the decks is HUGE. We were so happy to have extra help yesterday - and they will return tomorrow to hopefully finish. Phew.
I think (Hope) that any days with heat and/or humidity will be sparse and that Fall will be settling in - our first Autumn here in Western NY. Blessings galore.

Love to you always
Gail
peace.....

KGMom said...

Scribe--OH YES. It is far more energizing to have an ambient temperature which has a bit of a nip in it. Fall is my favorite season--and I find it most energizing.

Grizz………… said...

Penny…

Yup, I sure feel a lot better, more energized. Neither my body nor my attitude does well when it's hot. Hope you have your own more agreeable weather soon.

Grizz………… said...

Gail…

While I'm certainly working easier, harder, and longer these last few days, that hasn't always translated into more productively. Yesterday I spent the entire day trying to do two, what should have been quick and simple tasks—install a ventilation fan and reroute a couple GFCI plugs. The fan housing could not be made to fit in the existing space, and one of the plugs refuses to properly ground, and I can't for the life of me figure out why. So neither task got accomplished. Not productive! :(

I trust you're making better progress on your deck staining.

Be good, go in beauty…

Grizz………… said...

KGMom…

Couldn't agree more. I love fall and the crispy autumn weather. Spring is my favorite season, but fall is a really close second. Isn't it amazing how much influence weather has on our energy, mood, outlook, sleep, work and just life overall? Body, mind, and spirit are all forever intertwined.

Scott said...

Kali would kill me if the house were 56 degrees when she woke up in the morning, but even she appreciates cooler evenings--just not that cool. Despite the fact that some of "your" cooler air has made it several hundred miles further east to reach us, it's still above normally warm. Our normal this time of year is 78, and we're supposed to get to 79 today and the low 80s for the foreseeable future. It just doesn't stop! Plus, we are incredibly dry, too. I heard today that we're in the midst of a "moderate" drought; if what we're experiencing is a moderate drought, I'd hate to see a severe drought. The shrubs in our woodlands are all wilted, and anything exposed to the sun looks like it's not going to make it. We need rain so bad. There's a 50% chance on Sunday--the best chance in a month--but no additional rain in the forecast after that. And, I'm not holding my breath about Sunday, either.

I was interviewed for local TV this morning. A nearby country club, whose main irrigation well is located 25 feet from a small stream, is drawing down the shallow aquifer so much that it has dried-up the stream completely. The neighbors are up in arms. It's a minor local environmental debacle (the foxes and raccoons that feasted on the stranded fish didn't think it was a debacle at all), but it's just an indication of how dry it is here.

Grizz………… said...

Scott…

Myladylove was born and raised in the Southern mountains. Though she lived on (and enjoyed) an island in Alaska for a number of years, she has that Southerner's love for sun and heat, and is perfectly happy to spend a day lazing on the sand of the sunniest beach around. I'm good for about 30 minutes—then I get too hot , plus bored, uncomfortable, cranky, stir-crazy. However, this year she's complained more than me about the heat. I love it!

Neither of us like air conditioning. Plus we like to have our windows (screened) open, to hear the birds and such and smell the flowers and all. Experience the outdoors as much as possible 24/7. The cottage is mostly shaded, and of course, right beside the river. The walls, not counting studs, drywall, etc.— are 17 inches of solid limestone. Great at holding heat or cold. I have a big fan I put in one of the great room's windows when days start to get into the 80s˚F. Not a "box" type fan, but one of those old-fashioned "whole house" models made in the 1940s or '50s which are sealed off and so really move air. Quiet and super efficient. I can turn it on "medium/out" open a window in the far back room (my writing room) 50 feet down the hall and around the corner, and suck every paper on the desk onto the floor. All you have to do is open a window—or all the windows at the same time for that matter, doesn't matter how many—and you'll have a nice breeze moving through that part of the house. Which is what I do of a night, and given the stone walls, cools the house off sufficiently to generally keep it in the 70s˚ for most of following day.

This year, though, we've had day after day of 90˚ and higher, with nights in the mid-80s˚. Evaporation and air movement can helps some, but it's been hot—though not to the point of real discomfort. Our worst troubles occurred when we worked outside in 90˚ temps. Even in the shade it was hot! There were times when you thought you might drown on your own sweat! We drank lots of water, and took plenty of rests, which was easy since the heat quickly sapped our energy. However, it doesn't seem to have been as dry around here as what you've dealt with…though it could be my perspective is a bit skewed given that I live beside a river. Which is not the lowest I've seen in years past; more like average mid- and late-summer pool levels. Too, I'm out and about most days, and haven't noted any signs of real drought-related stress and such to leaves and landscape. On the other hand, we haven't had much rain. Not nearly as much or as often as usual. But maybe the few odd showers have been spaced just close enough to keep everything from withering and browning.

BTW, it's raining here today; rained some last night, too. And is supposed to rain tomorrow. I don't know whether that's encouraging or discouraging news for you, though.