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Florida is HOTTER than I ever remember... Visited last week for 7 days and was brutalized by the heat and humidity. Even the locals were cursing the heat and sun. I grew up in South Florida for over 30 years, and all my resident family and friends agree, it is perceived by them that Florida is getting hotter than it use to be. They say they are running their A/C's for more days in the year than they recall doing a decade ago (even with newer high efficiency units now days) and they enjoy the outside days for less time before they take a break in the shade or AC.
I realized I loved the mountains of Virginia on the night my friends and I were outside Brass Ring Pub in Royal Palm Beach at 9:30pm at night talking. I am beefy but dressed in 5.11 Pro pants for hot climates and a Columbia nylon fishing shirt. My friends are a tall, thin Volleyball coach and a short, thin surfer and dressed in t-shirts and shorts. All three of us, standing in the Florida night air, just talking, no activity besides our brains and mouths, had beads of SWEAT running down our foreheads, down our backs, and creating wet spots on our shirts. WTF??? It was then I realized how happy I was that I escaped Florida....
Some things that saved me:
Live Oak trees and Banyan trees! Florida without these trees would be hopelessly uninhabitable without AC...
AIR CONDITIONING! Yes, the obvious... Wow, what a BLESSING that technology is, and the electricity needed to run them...
OCEAN WATER! Yes, that cool, aqua green and blue, ocean water... How awesome it is! Inland waters, a bathtub. I would add the cold aquifer springs as well, they too are a lifesaver for cooling down...
Finally, ANY SHADE available... Seriously! Even the drug dealers and hookers of downtown West Palm Beach were huddled under shade of any kind...
Today, I am back in Virginia... It is sunny and 81 and a mild humidity. I love this area, winter and all!
Rmpl
I realized I loved the mountains of Virginia on the night my friends and I were outside Brass Ring Pub in Royal Palm Beach at 9:30pm at night talking. I am beefy but dressed in 5.11 Pro pants for hot climates and a Columbia nylon fishing shirt. My friends are a tall, thin Volleyball coach and a short, thin surfer and dressed in t-shirts and shorts. All three of us, standing in the Florida night air, just talking, no activity besides our brains and mouths, had beads of SWEAT running down our foreheads, down our backs, and creating wet spots on our shirts. WTF??? It was then I realized how happy I was that I escaped Florida....
Some things that saved me:
Live Oak trees and Banyan trees! Florida without these trees would be hopelessly uninhabitable without AC...
AIR CONDITIONING! Yes, the obvious... Wow, what a BLESSING that technology is, and the electricity needed to run them...
OCEAN WATER! Yes, that cool, aqua green and blue, ocean water... How awesome it is! Inland waters, a bathtub. I would add the cold aquifer springs as well, they too are a lifesaver for cooling down...
Finally, ANY SHADE available... Seriously! Even the drug dealers and hookers of downtown West Palm Beach were huddled under shade of any kind...
Today, I am back in Virginia... It is sunny and 81 and a mild humidity. I love this area, winter and all!
Rmpl
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