Monday, June 12, 2000
Beating the heat in your own back yard
By Richelle Thompson
The Cincinnati Enquirer
It's hot.
The sticky hot where sweat beads on brows and strands of hair mat against the nape of the neck.
This is the kind of hot that makes diehard gardeners shrink from heading outdoors. Those who pride themselves on fastidious lawns concede a few more inches of grass won't hurt anybody. Even the kids want to stay inside.
Welcome to summer, Cincinnati-style.
You don't have a boat. You can't head to the lake for three straight months. And you don't have the cash for an in-ground pool.
So how are you gonna stay cool in the uncomfort of your own back yard?
You could do like Gayle Ross of Loveland. To stay cool, she takes an old Windex bottle, rinses it out and uses it as a makeshift mister.
On some days, Ms. Ross, 61, slides a raft into a kiddie pool on her deck. She fills a bucket with sand, puts it in the pool and turns on the radio.
“Voila,” says Ms. Ross, waving her hands. “It's the beach.”
Cathy Foster, 44 of Loveland, waits until the sun dims, then finds a shady spot and drinks iced tea.
And Mark Partika of Blanchester waits until his 2- and 4-year-old children go to sleep. Then he heads to the one-foot deep, blue plastic pool he bought at Meijer, lies down and drinks a beer.
“Last year, we put plastic in a sandbox and filled it with water,” says Mr. Partika. “It worked pretty good — except it killed all the grass.”
Father and son Cliff and Chris Curry of West Chester just give up and beat the heat by staying inside.
Still need some help on surviving the summer? Here are some of the latest products to battle the blistering heat:
• Inflatable pools, $185 and up: Inflates in minutes. Can hold 250 gallons or more. Frontgate Retail Outlet, 11319 Montgomery Road).
• Misting fan, $159. Attaches to a garden hose and sprays a fine, cooling mist. Can provide up to 25-degree relief. (Frontgate, 800-626-6488; FrontgateSplash.com).
• Portable outdoor shower, $14.95. Only needs a garden hose. (Collections Etc., 316-584-8000, www.collectionsetc.com).
• Electric ice shaver, $59. Create your own snow cones and other frozen drinks. (Casual Living, 800-843-1881)
• Handheld misting system, $10. It looks like a thermos with a hose attached. Fill it up with eight ounces of water, prime the pump and press the spray button. (Frontgate, 800-626-6488; FrontgateSplash.com.)
• Umbrella gazebo, $99.95. Provides a cool place to chow down on burgers and chips and keeps the bugs out. The mesh netting slides over 7 to 9-foot umbrellas, enclosing the table and chairs. It's washable and comes with a storage bag. (Alsto's, 800-447-0048).
• Personal cooling system, $49.95. Basically, it's a wearable air conditioner that fits around the neck like a thick dog collar. A tiny fan moves air across the water inside the device, circulating air up to 20 degrees cooler. (Sharper Image, Kenwood Towne Centre; 800-344-4444; www.sharperimage.com).
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