Blessed Relief

I had been struggling along on just one air conditioner, since my 12,000 BTU unit gave up the ghost last Friday. I was contemplating driving into town and getting a replacement for it, but the only one I could find in an on-line search of the Richmond appliance outlets, was a Frigidaire, and I just didn't trust that brand. The unit that died was a Gibson. Gibson was an excellent brand, and it ran faithfully for well over ten years. When I bought it, it was the last one in the store, but I needed another one. The salesman said Gibson had been bought out by Frigidaire, and showed me another model, that he said was made by them. It actually said Gibson by Frigidaire on it, but it was a completely different design. I took a chance and bought it, but it turned out to be junk, and died after less than three summers. I had to drill drain holes in the bottom of the case too, because it leaked condensate back onto the windowsill, and soaked the wall beneath. After that experience, I was very reluctant to get another Frigidaire again.

When I bought the 8,000 BTU Samsung that I have in my bedroom three or four years ago (to replace another piece junk made by Whirlpool), I also bought another 6,000 BTU Samsung, that I had intended on putting in the computer room, but I never did, because the 12,000 and the 8,000 did an excellent job of cooling the whole house down, so it's been sitting around in its original box unopened ever since. Today I decided that rather than buy another 12,000 BTU, I should just go ahead and install the 6,000 BTU Samsung, and see how it does. I put it in just before lunch today, and have been running it ever since, along with the one in my bedroom. The outside temperature made it up to 99°F today, and the two units have been doing a very good job of keeping the house comfortable. I've been sitting here in the computer room for the better part of the evening, and I've had a couple of root beers over ice, and the glass didn't even sweat enough to to leave a ring on my desk. Not bad, when the outside humidity is 83%!

I was out on the deck yesterday evening, feeding some old stale bread to the squirrels. I give them all of my apple cores too, which they love, and even an occasional whole apple. They don't seem to like sweet potatoes though. They eat well. There are plenty of acorns and hickory nuts on the property, and when it's been raining a lot, there are plenty of mushrooms too. I once watched a squirrel outside my kitchen window, pluck a mushroom nearly as tall as he was, and over the next five minutes eat the entire thing. I wonder how he knew it wasn't poisonous?

When I was feeding them the bread, I heard a noise in the woods behind me. I turned around and walked to the other end of the deck to investigate, and heard what sounded like a deer walking around in the woods, so I walked down the steps to ground level, and as I got closer, I heard it move some more. I walked out in my driveway to get a better look, and suddenly a deer came bounding out of the woods towards the road out front. It quickly crossed the road and disappeared into the woods on the other side! That made my day! I used to see deer, fox and wild turkeys on my property all of the time, when I first moved out here, but I was the only one on this road then, and I was completely surrounded by woods. Then other people began to clear lots and build houses, and bring dogs, and the wildlife all but disappeared. I'm lucky to see a deer on the property once or twice a year now.

My sister is back from her choir's trip to France, where she said they received standing ovations, everywhere they sang! She said it was beautiful, but very hot, and few places had air conditioning. She said her hotel room had air conditioning, but it was still 80° F, and no amount of fiddling with the thermostat would lower it. She said it was very expensive, and a Coca Cola cost 3 Euros! Yikes! That's $4. 70 US! She took a lot of nice pictures, and brought me back a refrigerator magnet, with a picture of the Eiffel Tower lit up at night. She said it was all she could afford! I have it on my refrigerator now, next to my Marilyn Monroe magnet.

Melissa XX