It’s hot in Topeka! – End of the Day for April 8. 2014

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It’s hot in Topeka! (click for reference) — and also here in the San Fernando Valley!

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I dread the heat each year. I am not a native born Californian, so the thought of 90-100 degree temperatures for weeks at a time do not thrill me at all. Once it gets that hot, there isn’t a lot you can do to cool off. We don’t have to run the air conditioning in the house that much, except during the hottest days, but the expense, noise and uneven cooling can still be annoying. That and the inability to open the windows every once and a while. Like Ohio in the Winter, sometimes you just need to air the place out. We do get cooler nights here in the San Fernando Valley, do unless it has been a blistering day, we can usually open the windows and pull in the cooler air. In our case, the back garden seems to cool off much quicker than the front of the house, so we have devised a method of using fans to pull air in from the back and push it out the front windows. Our new windows here in the home office should also allow for a lot more air to move, so I am hoping that helps, too.

Of course, it isn’t just the hot air the gets me down. As a pasty midwesterner, too much sun can do me in quite quickly. I have to be careful how much exposure I get and even with sunscreen I am limited in my time. A trip to the park, out for a hike  or even watching a game at the Little League field can leave me with a nasty burn, if I’m not careful. I much prefer the Winter months with colorer temps, overcast skies and even a bit of rain. Again, I am certainly not a Californian in that regard.

Each year I hope that the heat won’t be too bad, but there are always a few weeks with continuous hot temps. I wonder sometimes if I am living in Los Angeles or out in the low desert of the Coachella Valley. There doesn’t seem to be much difference sometimes and my sister who lives there will sometimes comment on how the weather is hotter in the SFV than in the desert. That’s just wrong! (LAUGH)

So, I start now to prep my supplies for summer — lots of sunscreen, lots of water, my ubiquitous hat and even, sometimes, an umbrella  for when I simply MUST be outdoors. How do you prepare for Summer? Do you prefer the warmer temps? How do you cope? I can use all the advice I can get! 

  

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