Wet and Dry

We have humidity here.  It's not just an occasional thing.  It's pretty much wet and sticky year round.  I don't know the actual numbers so I can't compare our wetness with the general wetness of others but suffice it to say... we have humidity.

That is not to say that we don't have the occasional reprieve.  There is that wonderful cool/cold front or blue norther that blows in from points north and sweeps all the humidity back out to sea.  On those occasions we will dance in the streets, open all our windows to let the house air out and even sometimes sleep with all the windows open.  It is glorious.  And all the more glorious because it only happens occasionally.  I remember one October about 20 years ago when we had our windows open for nearly the entire month!

There is the argument that all the humidity keeps our skin looking wonderful without the addition of creams and lotions so often needed by those in dryer climes.  That is very much in the same category as "No, no.  It's a dry heat."  Well, yes.  Dry heat is different from humid heat but it's still heat.  And I would rather have to use lotion on my skin and have some non-sticky days.

What reminded me of all this is what happens to the floor of the barn when the humidity changes.  When it is humid, with or without rainfall, the floor of the barn gets wet and stays wet.  It's more often an issue when the weather is cool than when the weather is scorching and the heat is able to dry out the floor. 

I have long since gotten tired of a wet butt from sitting on the mule seat that is always wetter than I think it will be.  The mule is parked outside so if it rains the seat will be wet.  But it gets just as wet when it's misty or foggy or just plain humid.  Now I reach of a kitchen towel to sit on when I go out the door.

We have had lots of rain this winter and spring so the barn floor has been wet most of the time.  Given that I'm getting old and broke my ankle last spring, I am particularly careful on the wet floor.  But then a miracle happens.  The wind moves to the north and the sun comes out and the air get dryer.  And magically the barn floor dries out too.  Of course, it's not magic at all but sometimes it happens so quickly that it seems like it.  These two pictures were taken about 3 hours apart.

This wonderful dryness won't last.  We are sunny this afternoon for the first time in what feels like weeks and weeks.  Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny also.  Then we are back to rain, humidity and wet floors in my barn.  Rats!