I was born and raised in Southern Utah. It was a dry heat, and the area I was in was a high mountain desert, so it didn’t get into the 100’s super often, usually staying in the 90’s most of the summer. There wasn’t a lot of rain, but when it did rain, it poured, usually with thunder and lightning. I love thunder storms and miss those here in Alaska.

Last summer Alaska had one of the wettest summers on record, definitely the wettest I’ve seen in the 27 years I’ve lived here. It was miserable, even the people who don’t like the heat were miserable. It’s not fun never seeing the sun all summer long. The worst part is it just drizzled every day. No thunder or lightning!

This summer has been just the opposite. We have had a few rainy days, but for the most part it’s been sunny to partly cloudy and, for those who came to Alaska to escape the heat, it’s been too hot! But I have been loving it. I love getting out in the afternoon sun to weed my garden, pleinair paint, write my blog, go for walks, hike, everything I didn’t do last summer because of the rain, and everything I can’t do in the winter.

Most people come to Alaska because they want to live somewhere cooler. I came because I love my husband and this is where he was born and raised and wanted to live. My kids have grown up here, and we have an awesome life. My one and only complaint is that I am always cold. Summer or winter I usually have a jacket on, even in the house. My husband is always hot, he really would die somewhere like Southern Utah where it is actually hot, so we stay.

Today I was looking at the weather app for the weather station at our house. It said 83 degrees. I then checked the weather for my hometown, 85 degrees. So I sit outside, enjoying the heat, while my family sits inside, in front of the fans turned on high, thinking they’re going to die. But I’ll soak it up, maybe my bones will be warm this winter!