Hope Mom keeps the air conditioner on for me

Ahhh, the good old days of sleeping with the windows open.

We were forced to relive those days last week as the air conditioner took a header. Seems my memory of the good old days doesn’t recall quite so many allergens, mosquitoes or barking neighborhood dogs.

I came home for lunch one day late this week and while there noticed it didn’t seem as cool as it should be. The wife said she could feel cold air so I ignored it and put a load in the dryer. I walked by the air vent a few minutes later and it was definitely warm. I checked the thermostat and it read 78, two degrees over the 76 it is set at during the day. A few minutes later it had climbed to 80 and that’s where it stayed.

When I got home that evening it hadn’t improved and I noticed the compressor wasn’t turning outside so I contacted the heating and cooling guy, who had already taken the weekend off despite the weather forecast of high 90s in September.

I come from hardy pioneer stock that saw air conditioning as a nice easterly breeze. We could make it through the weekend.

The first task would be opening the windows that have rarely ever been raised since we moved in this house 16 years ago. As I was accomplishing that task on the first evening, I remembered why they haven’t been raised. Few screens were still on the windows and those that were wouldn’t keep a housecat outside, let alone a mosquito or fly.

I have to admit the cross breeze I finally accomplished sure felt good. The night noises were pleasing as well.

The pleasantries didn’t last long.

A chorus of neighbor dogs wouldn’t let up for a long while. I became aware just how many vehicles pass by on our street. That in itself is unsettling since we live on a dead-end.

I remember before refrigerated air conditioning we ran the swamp cooler in the early evening then usually turned the thing off at least by the time we went to bed. Bedroom windows stayed open even when the evaporative cooler was on so as to draw the air through the house.

When we lived in Colorado we only used an evaporative cooler for a short time in one home. Most every summer night there was perfect with the windows open. We had places where we could hear coyotes and foxes howl and bark. One bedroom window had a mockingbird permanently installed in a tree right outside. Those rascals can make a lot of noise late at night.

I suspect we will make it through the weekend but I’ve already been reminded how spoiled I am.

If you see my mother tell her we’re coming to her house for dinner and football today.

Turn the thermostat down before we get there, Mom.

Karl Terry writes for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at:

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