Blog Update!
For those of you not following me on Facebook, as of the Summer of 2019 I've moved to Central WA, to a tiny mountain town of less than 1,000 people.

I will be covering my exploits here in the Cascades, as I try to further reduce my impact on the environment. With the same attitude, just at a higher altitude!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

The Sweat Lodge - Keep Yer Cool Challenge

Keep Yer Cool ChallengeWe are finally getting some summer weather after having a very cool, cloudy August, which is quite unusual for Seattle. Normally, it's cloudy and cool most of June through July, but then it gets awfully hot during August and September with very little rain.

I don't know if this is just an exception year or if this is indicative of what's to come with climate change. It is believed that this area will start to have more overcast summers with more rain than is "normal" for this time of year, with milder winters and less snow pack. So, who knows if this is just a fluke or not.

Either way, it's been absolutely glorious around here with temperatures in the 70s and 80s with sunny skies and beautiful autumnal-like sunshine. Has anyone else noticed how large and prominent the moon has been in the sky lately? It's really cool.

Anyway, the temperatures have been still mild and there hasn't been a ton of sweating going on since we live near the water and get lots of marine breezes in our neighborhood.

How's summer rounding out for you? Are you still sweating like crazy or is fall making an early appearance in your neck of the woods?

I'll be wrapping the Keep Yer Cool Challenge up at the end of the month and starting the 2008 - 2009 Freeze Yer Buns Challenge at the end of October. This year I'm planning on seeing a lot more participation since y'all got your feet wet with it last year and heating costs are much higher this year. So, stay tuned for more info on that.

21 comments:

Mike Smith said...

Really enjoyed your blog. I have a friend in Seattle and she's invited me across the pond next year. I'm looking forward to it.

Kind regards

Mike

Anonymous said...

Looking forward to doing well with the freeze yer buns challenge this year.....oil is high here in New England and now the kids are in school all day should be a little easier.

Unknown said...

this summer was fairly mild. especially august. i'd say we maybe had 12 or so days of almost unbearably hot & humid days but other than that it's been super mild. in fact, the 1st week of sept. was kinda cold. right now its rainy & cloudy, reminants of hurricane ike they say, but cool.

Anonymous said...

We're actually starting to get the first breaths of fall here, and now it's just wet again. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a week or two of "Indian summer" still to come, but the real heat is over.

Overall, it's been a weird, wet summer.

rosiegirl said...

I suspect you and I have had a similar summer and now fall, as I am just north of you. Due to the mild summer and now warm fall, it has been relatively easy to deal with. Also, I agree with you about the moon, it has been incredible lately.

Tara said...

Even in hot Texas, we've been getting a break lately (highs in the low 80's to low 90's) and cooler nights, so I've been able to leave the A/C off for several weeks!

Unknown said...

New England has been mostly wet & muggy. Not too many days over 90 really. The A/C went on maybe 10 times total all summer, mostly to dehumidify. We set the temp to 74 & when it got there, turned it off.
In our next place, we want ceiling fans. We have one here and that room is always pleasant even though it gets the most sun.
But those days are gone. Now the nights are getting chilly. Time to freeze!

Wendy said...

No A/C for the whole summer! Of course, our "outside" temperature was probably what people further south had their "indoor" thermostat set at ;). It was a very cool and rainy season ... good for apples ... not so much for tomatoes ;).

I'm looking forward to the Freeze Yer Buns Off Challenge. The thermostat will be set at 55° (just to keep the house warm so that the pipes don't freeze), and we'll be snuggling up to our woodstove. Warm days by the fire and warm nights snuggling under the down comforter :). Sounds awesome!

Cactus Jack Splash said...

I am in for the freeze your buns challege. We work at lowering the thermostate every year, this year I was teasing that we were going to turn the heat off...I got over ruled on that one

sandinhershoes said...

I'm a new reader of your blog; just discovered it a couple of days ago. Am quite taken with it and with Little Blog in the Woods. Must confess, I'm very new at this blogging business and I'm 70 yrs old - learning new skills does not come as easily as it once did. Anyway, I will very interested in participating in 'freeze your buns' and you can really do that here in Reno, NV. I, too, have been struck by the moon.

Unknown said...

today, as it's nearing 97, i am looking forward to freezing my bum off!

steffington said...

Summer was boiling in NW Pa.

I'm out in Illinois now, and it has not stopped raining in like 8 days. Nevertheless, it is hotter than a mother, with an occasional breeze. But the AC has been off most of the time.

Mama said...

Here in SW VA, we've been blessed with good rain after a bad drought last year. Temps have been fairly normal. I definately notice, as we do without air conditioning. Most days not so bad, but anything over 80, without cooling down at night, is horrible! I moved from Sunny FL to the mountains, and couldn't imagine living without an AC! But now, I am going to have to learn how to freeze my buns off! Look forward to joining your challenge!

Mama said...

BTW, with all this talk of energy conservation, I hope to spread the word about a renewable energy project in the heart of coal country. Coal River Wind project could serve as an example to the rest of the nation, and get more wind farms up and running. This one is proposed to provide enough energy to power 150,000 homes FOREVER! It's being threatened right now, as the coal companies want to remove the mountain top. Coal power is going to run out in 20-30yrs, and then we'll really be facing an energy crisis! Let's petition to begin the renewable energy hunt NOW...not later!
www.coalriverwind.org

Robj98168 said...

I, too, have been surprised at our weather this month- and not turning on the A/C! I find if I run the ceiling fan with the back door open and the front windows open(depending on time of day) It stays reallt pleasant here- last night I fell asleep on the couch and had to get up becasue I was freezing. Looking forward to the "my butt feels like an ice cube challege"

Paula said...

We really didn't have to use the AC all that much this summer. There were a couple of hot weeks in August, but we used the AC very minimally those days.

We never really turn the heat up all that much in the winter. It's going to be a little bit of a challenge for me this winter, though. My wonderful husband passed away from stomach cancer at the end of July. He was really the one who was more invested in keeping the thermostat down (I'm the one that's always cold). So, it will be a challenge without him here to keep me in check, so I'll have to be extra-tough on myself.

It's actually been a challenge for me to keep up with a lot of the changes I had already made to be more "green." I've had to really work to not be bitter and think "what's the use" now that my husband's gone. I know that will pass eventually, but it's still hard now.

I'll just have to keep up with your blog for inspiration.

mudnessa said...

the only unbearably hot days we had were right before you started the challenge and when i had run the ac and it killed my garden and i vowed to find another way to stay cool this summer. i guess there were some pretty hot days but not like last year, or i just didnt realize because i did find a good way to cool my place.

still using ac at work so things dont die. the weather keeps going up and down, pretty warm and then qutie cool from day to day.

Anonymous said...

we didn't start having summer til July and even then temps ran below what we normally have here. The drought is over for us since it rained most of June and the last half of August. We didn't use any fans all summer and we don't have A/C. Sept. temps are running well below average...wakiing up to temps 30 degrees. Feel like we should have been doing the freeze your buns challenge already...

The Simpleton said...

If you end "Keep yer cool" before the end of a/c season, does that mean I have free rein? This is always the worst part of the season for me--I am so sick of hot weather.

(The good news is that I won't freeze my buns for at least two weeks after the end of the heat!)

K E Fleck said...

he he he! I've been shopping for second-hand sweaters and have been knitting longies and sweaters ... we're ready to freeze our buns (again!)

Thanks, as ever, for such an inspiring crunchy place :-) xoxo!

EcoBurban said...

It's getting pretty cool here in Michigan, so no need for the air conditioning. It's cold enough for the kids to be wearing coats at the bus stop and for us to close our windows at night. I am looking forward to the winter challenge, it's a tough one for us when it's 10 below!!