Jesus! What a lousy summer!

[Raven]

Cold, wet, mostly cloudy. Today it has not broken 60 degrees and it really feels like November. I can hear the acorns falling on the roof and the chipmonks are very busy. My vegatable garden produced exactly 6 green beans, 3 pea pods and one tomato. I did get a potato crop. Oh, and the sun is setting earlier and earlier. Here's hoping we have a nice Indian Summer!

So now, my two questions...1) How would you rate your summer weather-wise? and 2) is there any merit to these "light boxes" that I see advertised for light deprived people?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Ratings

the summer was surprisingly cool for Arkansas, and definately wetter. The garden didn't produce, but our well didn't go dry.

I'll check with my holistic physician, but I think that light boxes, when properly constructed, that help folks who live in far northern climes who are light deprived during the winter.

[shamrock]

3. beautiful weather

beautiful over here in S.W. Oregon (Coos Bay). My tomatoe plants went wild, as did zuccini, celery, etc. Beautiful day today. This summer we have had great weather over-all. I live about 15 miles inland from the coast so we escape most of the fog. We have had to be a little careful with our water toward the end of August (spring water) but not too bad. I will NEVER complain about the weather here, although I do recall a hurricane or two in the past they are rare. It's common here to get 60 mph winds in the winter, but we seldom get snow. No complaints here.

[jeff30997]

2. Hey Raven ! You should do a poll !!!

Personally i think that this summer was the crappiest ever.

[Piltdown13]

4. Mixed good and bad

Here in south-central Indiana, we had about a month of unseasonably low temperatures and humidity, which was wonderful -- it can be really unpleasant here during the summer. But this lovely weather was bookended by periods of heavy rainfall. Don't get me wrong, we need the rain, but it's not great for the garden to get it all at once! In June we had a bunch of seedlings/seeds washed away, and more recently the wet conditions have allowed mold to kill all but 3 of our pumpkin crop...so much for that Halloween carving party!

[IADEMO2004]

5. Iowa: best sweetcorn year ever IMHO

cool nights, almost no airconditioning, golf course,lush and green. A most non-crappy summer here.

P.S.
3 stroke lead after 1st. round Labor Day 2 man best ball golf tourn.

[Raven]

7. Welcome and good luck!

You go get 'em! :hi:

[roguevalley]

6. we've had nearly fifty days of over 70 degrees up here in Alaska. that is

unheard of. Those sadd lights work, honey. I personally can vouch for it. You're light deprived. Its a good investment.

[Doug Decker]

8. This summer in Southern California...

I live in the San Fernando Valley (the Valley Girl's valley) we have had a relatively cool summer. It doesn't rain here from late March until October (usually), so it has been dry, of course.

Mid 80s to lower 90s all summer, although we seem to be getting a hot spell about now, in the barely triple digits. It was 102 degrees on Friday.

The leaves are falling off the big tree in my back yard and are starting to clog up the pool filter. Even so, I look forward to a cool and rainy winter and no more air conditioning (which is super expensive - thanks ENRON).

[Terran]

9. Well, I've loved this summer

here in Missouri. It's been far cooler than normal, and even though that's adverse for some crops, it's been good for my electric bill and just far more pleasant than it normally is. I like rain anyway, and we've had some wonderful storms and day-long rains that have been very beautiful to watch. Today it's about 78 and a little humid, when it normally might be 95. I'll take it, thanks! Even if it means a cold winter, which I don't mind.

[Lefty48197]

10. Best summer weather in Michigan ever.

This summer had been absolutely PERFECT. Rarely did it get even as high as 85 degrees. Maybe hit 90 once. So many days in July/Aug were mid 70's, cool breezy. Beautiful.

[LWolf]

11. Relatively decent summer here.

Relatively, because summer just plain sucks in the Mojave, imo. It's been cooler than usual; more high 90s and low 100s, only a few waves hitting in the 110 range. I've appreciated it, but it still needs to drop another 20 degrees before I'd call it "nice." October is traditionally our best month. Warm, clear, crisp days, chilly nights.

[mvd]

12. Despite it being a cool summer, it was too wet and humid

Even most hot summers have more days with low humidity. I give this summer a 4/10.

[Jackpine Radical]

13. Re: Light boxes--they work.

There are controlled studies showing added light exposure to be clinically effective for one form of recurrent depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (which abbreviates nicely to SAD). Originally it was thought that the light had to be full-spectrum, but I don't believe that theory held up. The critical variable is brightness & getting retinal exposure. A little web searching should provide you with everything you need to know, including what kind of light to use, how to set it up, etc.