06/10/2026
Well, today I took some time to put up some bamboo blinds in the east sunroom window. This isn't for decorative or privacy reasons (I'm 1/4 mile from the road), but its to lessen the heat. The only windows in the farmhouse that don't have blinds to keep the sun out are the north window in the parlor, (that window is shaded by the pine grove), and the south picture window in the sunroom (the large maple is shading that one). When I first moved here 19 yrs ago I loved not having blinds on any of the downstairs windows, and I left the ones in the upstairs windows open year round so I could have ALL the lovely views all around me. The 360° views, sense of openness, and natural light are what I love most about this house. However, over the years the summer heat has gotten worse, & summers feel longer, so now I close the sun out during peak hours of summertime to help keep things cooler. Although I have an excellent geo-thermal system (and new replacement windows) and keep the thermostat at a nice & steady, cool temp., keeping the sun out also helps save on energy usage. But I admit that I don't like feeling closed in. I could never live in a dark house or on an underground level, it actually makes me claustrophobic. Yet one more reason that I prefer the fall and winter seasons, when everything is wide open, you can see for miles, the air is crisp, and the woodstove makes it cozy inside the farmhouse. But, there are also positives about the summer season, not the least of which is all the green growth around us, and the coming bounty of the harvest 😊 Are you a summer or a winter person?
