We recently went through what could very likely be our whole
summer: two and half weeks of sunny, hot weather.
“Hot” of course is a relative term. I know parts of the West Coast and Southwest are hitting 100+ degree temperatures in the next few days. My mind can barely comprehend that kind of heat!
In Anchorage, when it hits 80
degrees...the TV weather people start to put fans and air conditions on the
weather maps. And when it hits 85 (if it hits 85) we get the bright red fiery
“HOT” on the TV screen.
I know, in many parts of the world, 80 isn’t hot (I’ve been
told this quite clearly from my family in Nevada).
But it’s different up here.
Our city’s average high temperature for this time of year is
65 degrees. So, yes, 80 is a wee bit toasty compared to that.
And Alaskans love it. It’s so rare we don’t dare waste a
moment of sunshine. I had a movie scheduled with a friend and she said “it
feels like sacrilege to go inside a movie theater on a day like this.” We ended
up at restaurant with an outdoor patio. The patio was packed!
That was the first weekend of the sunshine. By the second
weekend, we went to movies to escape the “heat.” Now, it was still only in the upper 70s but no one has air
conditioning and every fan for sale had been snatched up. I went for five days
with my house never cooling off below 76 degrees. Ugh. I actually was excited
to get in my car (air conditioning) and go to work (air conditioning turned up
so high we had to wear sweaters) just to cool off.
The warmest (official) temperature ever recorded in Alaska is 100
degrees. For Anchorage, it’s 86.
It clouded over and cooled off two days ago and I’m not
unhappy. I like being able to sleep with blankets on me.
I’ve lived in Alaska going on 43 years. I’m not used to hot
weather. I’ve talked to people who have moved up here and they’ve said that the
heat is different, that 75 in Alaska feels a lot hotter than in other places.
I take comfort in that. Makes me feel less like a weather
wimp.
On the other end of the scale, in winter, when it’s 20
degrees outside, I can say “that’s just about perfect.” And my Lower 48 family
and friends think I’m nuts.
What can I say? It’s different up here.
Stay cool!
Tielle St. Clare
* * * * *
Tielle's Book News
Crimson (Book 1 of the Red Panty Diaries) is free for one
more week. Find it at Ellora’s Cave, Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Also, A Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing (Book 2 of the Welsh
Wolves) is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.
And I got the new cover for Fire Engine (Book 4 of the Red "Panty" Diaries! Lovely huh? Coming soon from Ellora's Cave!
3 comments:
Weather - always a controversial subject. I've lived in Alaska as long as you, Tielle. Being born in Indiana and raised in Michigan, I would take an Anchorage winter ANY DAY over the midwest! It's dry here very little humidity. I like that. I like the cooler weather, too. Can't take the 'heat' anymore either.
Wow - your new FIRE ENGINE Briefs are HOT! Will get the word out! ;o)
My garden and I are loving the heat=and I whine about missing the heat=until I go Outside and have to deal with it. Oye! it is different up here and yes, 20 degrees is just about perfect. [you did't hear me say that]
Yes, Tielle, I'm happier too. The first few days of the heat wave, I basked in it. Then I'd look outside and say, "It's STILL sunny?!" I didn't know what to do with it. Now I'm more comfortable with the clouds and cool weather!
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