Heat Vs. Humidity (Re: whining rights)

[Heather Hettick]

<<When I lived in Iowa, the summers weren't as humid as Virginia. The
heat was more of a dry, sun-beating-on-your-back type "hot". That kind
of heat is tolerable because your sweat evaporates on your skin and
cools you. I remember we had a week or so of 100-101 degree
temps and it wasn't that bad. >>

I have bad memories of an Iowa heat wave during a car trip my family took
from OR to PA.  Our Volkswagen van had air conditioning but it never worked
so we suffered through windless 106 F temps, covered with itchy heat rash,
putting cold towels on our necks to attempt to keep cool.  When we finally
found a campground to stay, as we were traveling with dogs, the pool was
closed and the mosquitoes were terrible.  I don't think any of us got to
sleep and we finally left about 5:00 am the next day just to get out of
there.

Living in Oregon for two years, I thought they had great weather overall.
We were near Salem and never got more than and inch or two of snow if any
and summer days were hot and dry but it always cooled down nicely in the
evening, so much that I'd have to wear a long sleeved shirt.  You could also
drive up into the Cascades and see snow any time you wanted or go to the
other side of the mountains and it was a dessert - that's where my Dad's
parents lived, and it was usually windy, though rarely very hot, at the
coast.  Unfortunately, my mother didn't like Oregon because, it was too far
from her family, they don't have the 4 season she was used to and the
farmers burnt the grass seed fields surrounding our house every fall, which
I agree was sort of a pain.

I've lived mostly in Pennsylvania when in the US and I think it has a nice
balance of cold and hot, but I could do with less snow.  I prefer hot
weather because I personally find it much easier to cool off than to warm
up.  I spent most of July in Texas, near Corpus Christi, after my first year
of college and loved it there.  (of course I had just turned 19 right before
the drinking age went to 21 and was out at night a lot, but I still came
home with a great tan.)  My husband has high blood pressure and can't take
the heat at all, so he hides out in his air conditioned room all day if the
temp is much above 85F, so I guess we won't be moving to Texas any time
soon.  I really love Maine and upstate NY when I have visited, but I don't
think I could handle the long winters and so much snow, although my husband
would probably move to Maine in a minute.

We live just below the lake-effect snow line from Lake Erie and I don't mind
hearing about Cleveland's 3 feet of snow in one day as long as I don't have
to deal with it.  I'll take my chances with Tornadoes in the flatlands of OH
for now.  We had 100 F temps yesterday and probably again today, but it's
supposed to cool down for the weekend!

Heather Hettick