Florida Hot and Muggy or is it Buggy

I have lived in Florida for most of my life. Right here in North Florida to be precise. Even though my husband and I lived in Europe during our early years we came home to North Florida and settled down to the routine of kids, working, and getting through to retirement. We have lived without air conditioning (OH MY!) and we have swatted about a million flies, gnats, and mosquitoes in our lifetimes. Florida is filled with buggies of all kinds and it is hot and muggy a great portion of the year.

There are lots of different home remedies to keep those pesky critters away. Some of them actually work but most do not. You not only need sunscreen but insect repellent just to step outdoors. A hat is good too. It is the dang heat that you have to become acclimated to. If not you will have to leave every summer for cooler temperatures in the mountains. (We’ve done that for a couple of years too.)

Nowadays we can jump into our pool at home. Sometimes we even head on over to the beach and hang out while the refreshing breezes off the Atlantic keep our skin cooler. This was not true so much at the beginning of our lives and we have had to resort to other ways of keeping cool. There have been and will continue to be days where the only thing you want to wear here is a towel while you lie in bed underneath the AC vent. DO NOT fight this urge. Just get into the bathtub filled with cold water and meditate for a little while. You would be surprised how many people end up in the emergency room from heatstroke.

What are some of your favorite, “Beat the Heat” ideas that you and your family use?

My young adult novel, “Jenniferology” is set in a small Florida beach town. it is filled with old-timers (retirees) and Jennifer is left on her grandmother’s doorstep because she has become a handful. Will she survive all these old people? Will the retirees survive the dramatic teenager? Available on Amazon and soon to be available in Audio format in July! Check out my page on the book – CLICK HERE