Summer exercise options

During these hot and humid summer days it is really hard to keep up with my exercise routine. All I feel like doing sometimes is sitting on the couch in my air-conditioned house and reading a book. I know there are options like video workouts and indoor fitness equipment, but I prefer being outdoors when the weather is nice.

Since we moved here from such a dry climate, maybe our bodies are still adjusting to the humidity and it will get easier. I have noticed a difference this summer vs. last summer, when I almost fainted riding my bicycle to work one humid morning. It seems easier to catch my breath and I listen to my body so I know when to slow down before it is too late.

Glorious spring!

We had plenty of rain last week, as you may have heard in the news. It wasn't that bad in our area, but the Beaver suspension bridge was closed for a couple of days due to the lake rising above the bridge by a couple of feet. Good thing there is another way into Beavertown over land - it's just a much longer drive. As a result of all the rain, everything is blooming here and it is gorgeous!

This is bad news for those who suffer from seasonal allergies. I have never had problems with allergies, but my husband sure does and I feel so bad for him. At least there are air purifiers to treat the air indoors, but this time of year has the nicest weather, so who wants to stay inside? I hope neither of my children develop seasonal allergies. So far they don't seem to be affected by weather changes, aside from picking up common colds from school.

Weather changing by the calendar

Since Orbitz mentioned Eureka Springs as one of their staff picks for great Labor Day destinations, we are unusually busy this weekend. Most of the hotels are full to capacity, and there aren't even any special events happening. I guess everyone will just be walking downtown, shopping, and taking in the sights. Not that these are bad, I have just never seen so many tourists when there wasn't a big event in town.

The weather has been absolutely beautiful starting right on September first. The humidity is very low, with temperatures in the seventies and a slight cool breeze. I wish the weather was always just like this! It's strange, because I specifically remember the weather turning crummy exactly on August first. That's when the humidity got really high and the heat was unbearable. So I'd say August is the worst month to be in Eureka Springs, which is odd since it is one of our busiest tourist months. Go figure...

Still no new leaves, but a glimmer of hope

My neighbor informed me of an article she read that said if the vegetation freezes after an early Spring bloom, it will go through a quick cycle of Fall and Winter, and then back to Spring blooms again within a month or two. I am very relieved to hear that we will not have to suffer through a hot summer without any shade!

I just hope the blooming starts before my mom's visit at the end of May because it doesn't look very pretty right now.

droopy blooms

Well, we were spoiled by the unseasonably warm weather last week and were shocked back into winter last weekend with our (hopefully!) last hard freeze. All the trees and flowers were in bloom and then BAM! they are all droopy and dead-looking now. I hope all the leaves will bloom again, or we will have a very hot summer without shade!

I know nature has a way with these things and everything works out, but for now Eureka's vegetation is in a sad, sorry state indeed.

Brrrrrrrrr

I knew the weather would be colder today, but gee whiz! It hasn't even reached 50 degrees and it is almost 1:00 in the afternoon. The weird thing is it is sunny outside, but the sun just isn't warming us up. I guess this is the cold front my relatives experienced in Denver last week passing through. You really get used to the warm weather, then a cold day like this throws you for a loop. I let the dog out this morning and didn't bother to put shoes on because I was used to 60 degree mornings. I was in for a shock, this morning it was only 40 degrees.

According to the weather forecast, it will be cold (highs in the upper 50s, lower 60s) until next Monday, then it will be back to normal with highs in the mid 70s. Hopefully after this week, we can turn the heater off for good until next winter. Our natural gas bill for February was $130 and March was only $50 - what a difference the heater makes!

Back to school on Monday

Boy, Spring Break really flew by this year. I guess it's probably because we had relatives visiting the whole week and now we have to get caught up on laundry and housework this weekend. I wish we could spend the day outside because it is absolutely gorgeous, and has been for the whole week. Next week we will get some rain, but it will still be warm.

I'm not looking forward to the bugs, which I know will be around shortly, but we are certainly enjoying the weather for now! I wish it could always be just like this... 70 degrees, a slight breeze, and no bugs. To get that, you have to pay loads of money to live in California and deal with polluted air and lots of traffic. The other option is to get a summer home and a winter home and travel with the seasons like the birds do. Oh well, we're enjoying Eureka and all her seasonal "quirks" and plan to stay.

Are your eyes sufficiently protected?

Now that warm weather is officially here, we are spending a lot of time outdoors. It is time to make sure we are prepared with sunblock and a good pair of sunglasses for every member of the family. Many people don't realize how harmful the sun can be for your eyes. Since the local stores' selection of sunglasses is somewhat slim, I shop online where you can get great deals on brand name prescription Sunglasses, Eyeglasses, Ski goggles, Swim goggles, Motorcycle goggles, and much more. Even if you don't require prescription lenses, you can still pick up a great pair of stylish sunglasses or sport goggles.

They offer free UPS shipping on all orders above $29.95 and have knowledgeable customer service representatives ready to answer any questions or to help you place your order. You can feel confident placing your order on their secure website, which is a member of the Better Business Bureau Online Reliability Program.

Spring for cleaning?

Spring is most definitely here. We are looking forward to weather in the upper 60s all week. I feel like being outside all day, but I also feel like cleaning. Why is that? I never understood the concept of "Spring Cleaning", but it's true that you really feel like cleaning when the weather starts to warm up. Wouldn't it make more sense to clean during the winter when you are stuck in the house anyway? Why do we feel like cleaning when we should be outside working in the yard? It's just one of those weird phenomenons that we will never understand and just have to force ourselves to do the major cleaning in our houses when it is cold outside and we can't go anywhere.

Is Spring here?

All signs say "Yes"! The birds are singing, the squirrels are everywhere and the weather has been warm for a week, with the forecast looking good for the next ten days. The high temp has been upper 50s and 60s. My guess is we may have one more cold storm in March, but after that we'll be full swing in spring! Now I just have to cross my fingers that it is warm for my daughter's birthday party in March. It is much easier to handle lots of kids if they can go outside for awhile.

Snowing, snowing

It started snowing around 10:00 this morning and has not stopped as of yet. It may snow all night and into tomorrow, according to the radio. The station is in Branson, which is about an hours drive away, so sometimes the weather predictions are somewhat off. They let the schools out early and the grocery store was so packed I had to wait for a shopping cart to use! Everyone is stocking up in case they get "snowed in" for a few days.

Coming from Colorado, this all seems a bit silly to me. I mean, they have gotten over 50 inches so far this year in Denver and life goes on. Here, we get one inch and the whole town shuts down. I can understand when there is ice under the snow, but today it just started snowing with no rain before so there is no ice. The highway was dry and as long as the snowplows do their thing, the town should still be able to function.

Warm weather!

For the past couple of days, we've been having awesome spring-like weather in the upper 60's. Unfortunately, many of us can't go out and enjoy it thanks to this darn bronchitis that has seem to hit the whole city. They even had an article about it in the local newspaper!

Of course, my daughter caught it first from school, then on to my husband (who had it a lot worse), then on to me and my son. Me and the boy didn't suffer half as much as the other two, so I felt really bad for them. This thing just takes a hold of you and won't let go!! The cough is totally uncontrollable. Since I was feeling pretty good, I went on my usual 3 mile walk yesterday morning. But when I came back home, my cough was a lot worse so I think I over-did it.

First snowfall

Yesterday, we got the first snowfall this year in Eureka. It started off with rain Wednesday evening, and continued all through the night. On Thursday morning, it was still raining and in the 50s. I sent my daughter off to school in her raincoat. Around 11am, the rain started freezing and little ice balls started coming down. All the puddles on the ground froze very quickly and the temperature was dropping, but still in the low 40s.

We got a call from school that the kids would be dismissed at noon. By then, the rain had turned to snow and was starting to accumulate on the roads. I was happy to see that the few cars that were on the road were driving very slow, even the SUVs. Back in Colorado, people with 4-wheel drive cars seem to think they can drive as fast as they want, even in snow (as if their 4-wheel drive will help them stop on a patch of ice).

We got about 2 inches total accumulation, but under the snow is a solid sheet of ice, so school (and most everything else) was canceled today. The Christmas parade was scheduled for tonight, but they have rescheduled it for next Friday - weather permitting. Normally, a little bit of snow and even ice wouldn't cause such a problem, but if you have ever been here you know how steep some of the roads are and how dangerous they can be. Picture sliding down Mountain Street downtown covered in ice... Yikes!!! That street scares me even when it is dry!

Anyway, we had fun sledding and playing in the snow on our "day off".

Holy Thunderstorms, Batman!

We had severe thunderstorms ALL NIGHT last night. Good for the vegetation, bad for the children. Both of our kids are afraid of thunder, so we had a very crowded bed last night and very little sleep for the adults. Oh well, if it stays cloudy we will have a good nap this afternoon...

Gotta love the weather!

It has been absolutely gorgeous the last few days. The highs have been 75 degrees or so and the lows in the wee hours of the morning are around 50 degrees. Some of the leaves are already starting to change. Yipeeeeee! The dogwood trees are sporting flaming red - beautiful!

Fall is on its way!!! Hopefully we will have a long and "showy" one.

Cooler weather has arrived

Ahhh, the last couple of weeks have been wonderful!! After an extremely hot and humid summer, all of a sudden the weather has completely changed (for good?). The humidity definitely makes a difference, and it has been much lower. Also the average high temperature has dropped by about 10 degrees, making the high temps between 75-80. It seems the fall weather has arrived already here.

We have never actually been in Eureka in the fall before, and it's supposed to be the best season. Of course, the fall is our favorite season anyway, but we are looking forward to terrific weather and a nice colorful, long, drawn out fall. We are used to 6 weeks of fall at best at our last residence. We are looking forward to celebrating Halloween without having to dress the kids for snow.

Eureka! We have found it!!