We haven't used our air conditioning in 4 years.
It's August and it's hot and muggy here in Minnesota, no surprise. The ragweed is blooming with its yellow display of pollen filled flowers. One of my crosses to bear in life has been an annual bout with ragweed associated hay fever. I am wondering if we'll need to start closing our windows to keep the pollen out. That would be a bummer. Besides loving the fresh air, we regulate the temperature in our house by opening and closing our windows at the right times. We have a rambler- a main floor and basement. Four years ago in August, it was hot. As usual, the central air conditioner was humming away. I went downstairs into the basement for something and I got one of those lightbulb ideas. It was hotter than Hades outside, yet it was cool and comfortable as always in the basement. I thought, "Why don't we just spend more time down here when it's hot and take advantage of Mother Nature's coolness?" I went upstairs and shut off the air conditioner. We ha...