Hi from Montana!

[CountryEscape]

Oh, I hate the gnats, too, you're right! I've never had the huge type of gnats, but when I dated a guy that lived about 60 miles east of me, he had them. Can't remember what he called them, but said he cannot even go outside at night when they are out, they bite and bug the heck out of you until you leave. Guess the deer and other animals hate them as well. He called them something that means "large" ....

 

[mtpond]

Are you a native to Montana and do you live in the country? Seems it would be a great place to live.

Yes born and raised in Montana and I do live in the country. I left for about 5 1/2 years. My husband went into the Navy so we moved to San Diego for a year and then moved to Chaleston SC for for 4 1/2 years. Then we moved back to Montana and have been here since.. I do love it here except the older I get the more I hate winter. That surpises me cause when we lived in the warmer climates I really missed the four seasons.

 

[mtpond]

Holy cow CE I'm 10 degrees warmer then you. Whats with that?

 

[Big Lou]

Yep, you're so right, Addy. Nothing worse than starting out spring with mosquitos and ants and other pest bugs that never completely died off the winter before.

What you have described CE is everyday country life all across the deep south. )))))

 

[CountryEscape]

I think you caught up to our "cold" MT! It looks like we are both at 10 this morning. Not fair, though, when you were 10 degrees warmer yesterday. NOT FAIR!!!
I, too, like the 4 seasons. Knowing that even a hard winter does not last more than a few weeks (below 20 degrees for a high for sure), helps me get through. I do much prefer the spring and fall seasons, but if I was going to give up the 95+ degree temps or the 10 degree winters, I would give up the hot hot summer temps. I can dress for the cold, can't take enough off to endure the heat and humidity here.

 

[mtpond]

Summer is my favorite season. We don't have the humidity that you have there so even when it gets hot I can still tolerate it. We don't have A/C so we keep windows open all night and then close the house up when I go to work. We get the afternoon sun in the back of the house until the sun goes down in the evening and with having metal halide lights over a couple of my reef tanks the inside temp starts to match the outside temps around about 5 o'clock. Maybe some day we'll get A/C.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Air conditioners sometimes just make it harder to get outside and do work, plus they can make you cough too. I just have a little air conditioner that sits in the window but we hardly needed to use it last year as we have large trees that cover the house and it stays shady and cool with the windows closed all day.

 

[CountryEscape]

MT, I never had AC when I was first married. Babies got to lay on blankets on the living room floor naked to help keep them from getting diaper rash. (I used cloth diapers, too, Pampers were pretty new back then, and very expensive, AND we burned our trash ... pampers do NOT burn!) We lived in a log home, in the woods, so I did like you, opened the windows at night, ceiling fan in living room pulled air from basement walk out door until about 10 a.m., then would close out the heat and humidity. I have AC now and would not live without it. In this humidity, I would be fine in 80 degrees without the humidity. That's the killer.

 

[addy1]

I grew up here without AC, it was cooler then, I remember sweating in our upstairs room, trying to sleep with fans blowing (my parents put in AC long after we kids where gone). Now no way would I even think of living here without it. 90-100 degrees with 80-90 % humidity..............no way. The heat index here is usually worse than the heat in the desert of arizona. I can only be outside until 10 then house bound the heat hurts me. I should live in alaska.............lol

 

[CountryEscape]

I think our bodies can handle much more extremes in temp when we are young, both hot and cold. I could not imagine living without AC either, but then I don't have to any longer. My body temp has sure changed in the last 10 years, too, so that makes a difference as well. However, when I'm working outside in the garden, flower beds, ponds I can stay out there for a long time, because I'm happy. It's once I go inside for anything, I'm done. I try to take all the water and ice out before it gets too hot. But, in the end, I don't push my limits, not worth getting heat stroke over. :razz:

 

[callingcolleen1]

Yes I handle much heat either, wears me out when its really hot. That was a nice story CE about the cabin in the woods and how you tended to your babies, I got a nice picture imagained up in my head!

 

[j.w]

What's air conditioning?

 

[mtpond]

I saw some of my fish today and they looked like they were doing good. This is the first time I've seen any of them in over 2 months. Only a quarter of my pond still has ice on it so with the loss of ice covering the pond the bottom of the pond temp has gone down a degree. :sad: Only 46 days until spring! :sun_smiley:

 

[CountryEscape]

Countdown until spring, I love it!!!
I just started my first seeds this morning. Neighbors have baby girl due in April (due date is my birthday!) and he has asked me to help him start some Royal Empress tree seeds. Evidently the tree is invasive in the south, where no freezing winter weather occurs, but not around here. Grows fast, 10-15' a year. Has blue/purple flowers, but I'm still trying to figure out if it will bloom in our zone, although it says it is Zone 5-10. I'm in I think 6. The tree originated in Japan and Chine, thus the name, and it is said that one would be planted when a baby girl was born, and then harvested at her wedding, made into a wedding chest. Only cherry wood is regarded higher than Empress wood! That was amazing, especially as fast as it grows, and article said produces 2-4 times as much wood as other hardwood trees. Roots go very deep, so don't plant over or near septic systems. Oh, just read they don't flower for 8-10 years. Sure sounds like it could be a problem sprouting up all over. Lots of hints about how to keep it from sprouting from seeds! Not sure I will plant one in my yard at this point, but I'll grow the seeds for him to give away to family and friends when the baby is born.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Oh that tree story sounds wonderful CE, how nice, I think you should grow one, you won't have to worry about seeds for a few years and it would be nice to have a blooming tree from China!

45 days now to spring . . . . .