Shortly after arriving in Idaho I read somewhere—I swear—that the average daily summer temp rarely exceeds 83 degrees. Paradise, right???? Well, as I am reminded once again, an average is just an average. It factors in highs of 95 or more and  highs of 65 or less.  Like this week, with highs in the 90s and next week with highs in the 70s.

Highs in the 90s?? Wait a darn minute. This is the panhandle of Idaho. I am in the great northwest, near Canada, within range of cheap flights to Alaska. Highs in the 90s cannot be possible. Wrong.

High temps call for some strategizing when living in an RV. I do have an air conditioner but I suspect they are expensive to run. I pay electricity separate and have been frugal. However, I need to leave Tango in the camper while I work or do the coffee house/library shuffle.  Campers get hot inside since they don’t have the same insulation as a fixed home. Tango wears a fur coat. This side of the RV park is heavily shaded thanks to mature maples; my own site is in the shade all day, which helps.

I need a hot weather strategy. I bought clippers and removed some of the fur coat, although I need to get bolder and remove more. I also bought two fans. One is heavy duty and removes the hot air while blowing cool air into the camper. I set that one on the dinette. The other, a typical round fan perches near the bed where Tango hangs out when I am gone. I open all camper windows and voila! The camper stays tolerable for him. However, when I get home I turn on the AC for half an hour, and the inside is more like paradise. I also turn on the AC for a half hour after I crawl into bed and start my nightly reading session.

My electric bill last month, without AC, was $16. I will continue my frugal use of the AC until the next bill arrives, and see what happens. Everything else runs on propane (frig, stove, oven, hot water heater), which is ultra-cheap. At most, I use about $15 worth of propane every six weeks. Not bad for utilities. Maybe I can spring for a WiFi Hotspot afterall!