May 7, 2022 | Day 7: Preventing Obstacles to Enjoying My Summer

Summertime in the Pacific Northwest is typically short and beautiful, and I love to get outside. What are some obstacles that might keep me from enjoying my summer? Last year’s two significant factors were extreme heat and smoke from wildfires. The temperatures were over 100 degrees for two weeks, and many homes – mine included – do not have central air conditioning. We have small room-sized units that provided some relief for our family and two dogs, but that did prevent us from enjoying time outside. In addition, we had a lot of smoky/hazy days due to wildfires. What can we do to endure these types of natural phenomena? Well, we can stay inside and find other things to do. Maybe research cold foods that would be fun to eat on hot days. Read the stacks of books and magazines that we’ve accumulated over the past serval months. Call friends and make plans to hike in the mountains where it’s cooler. And most of all, no matter what the summer brings, don’t complain! It’ll be gone before we know it.