August Sun

• In May, June, and July the sun is high above our building. Light floods the livingroom. A little after noon, rays reach the west-facing door to the large balcony, and I lower the shutter. Four hours later, the sun is far enough to the northwest, that we can sit on that balcony, drinking ice café.
• By late August, the noonday sun starts coming in through south windows. I draw the curtains on those shutterless windows and must keep the balcony shutter down until six. All windows are closed, all shutters down. To cool the rooms I squeegee clear water on stone-tile floors. (Each gram of water that turns to vapor takes 597 calories of heat from the air. See http://daphne.palomar.edu/jthorngren/latent.htm .)
• Though lower in the sky, the sun is fierce.
• By six, shadow pools on the balcony, the air cools, and the outside is once more welcome in. Air regains its sparkle. Light pops on along hillside streets and in the sky.
• To think cool in a dry climate see alslo http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/water.html and http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/water-on-jerusalem-day.html and http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/08/cistern.html and http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/05/water.html http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/fountains.html

Copyright 2007 Jane S. Fox