Greetings…

After one of the best Springs I can remember since moving here,
Summer finally arrived, much to our chagrin. It’s not that those
of us that live in Arizona don’t expect the heat, it’s just that
we know we will be inside more than outside for the next few months
and like people that have to deal with Winter and that feeling
of being cooped up until the weather breaks, we feel the same,
only for the opposite reason…

Summer, not Winter…

The Sun and heat in Arizona does some real damage, and we realized
how much damage this week when we went out on the patio to move the
Barbecue grill and the wheels were literally pulverized from the Sun,
and the grill is under a covered patio almost all day!

The other damage that needs fixing is my dining room table. Even though
I do have drapes and blinds in all the windows, I have one particular
window about 35 feet up with a decorative fan over it…

The finish on my dining room table is GONE! The sun has “eaten” it and
it now needs refinishing…

In vintage, “closing the barn door after the horses ran away”, I spent
the last few days applying window tint to all the windows and for the ones
that were higher than any ladder we have, I called someone in to do it…
The window film boasts 95% UV protection and is guaranteed, so we’ll
see how it goes. Supposedly, it will also help lower the electric bill
because it blocks quite a bit of the heat, (which I noticed it does)…

Anything that can reduce these 600.00 Summer electric bills will be
a welcome relief!

When Doctors preach about protecting your skin from the damaging effects
of the Sun, some people poo-poo it and continue to bake out there for that
perfect tan and risk skin cancer while out there. it’s impossible to NOT
be out in the Sun when you live in Arizona, but when you see your Barbecue
grill wheels fall apart, or your dining room table lose it’s finish, one
has to believe our skin is in jeopardy from being exposed…

The funny thing is…

When I lived in Chicago, I would pray for a few sunny days after looking
out at gloomy days for sometimes weeks on end. Since living here, I noticed
most of us pray for cloudy and overcast skies and actually get energized
when the sky is dark and dreary!

Did I forget to mention that the sun bakes the brain also?