New Jersey summers are infamous for many reasons like the shore and tomatoes, but unless you live here, you may not know the biggest one.
To say that it is stifling outside is the understatement of the summer so far. The humidity is shocking and suffocating. Disgusting. Stunning. Oppressive. Sickening. Breath taking. And not in a good way.
I gasped loudly when I walked out into it this morning and got assaulted by air thick enough to bite it's so dense with moisture. Thank goodness for small favors and it's not hot too.
Here on the bayshore at the Portable Homestead, and up at the lake, everything is damp to the touch or sticky. Bed linens and curtains have to be washed more frequently now or they'll smell sour, like sweat. Powdery mildew (mold) will soon be sprouting up on anything that's made of real wood or leather, an unwelcome annual ritual we've learned to live with because we can't keep it from happening, no matter what we've tried.
I heard once on the radio that, "our summers are mostly defined by humidity," and my first thought was that it was one of those 'no truer statement was ever uttered' moments. Humidity is a factor here year round, whether you're on our coast, in our mountains, or anywhere in between. But, 9 times out of 10 when I think of our summers, all the way back to my childhood when I was healthy and it didn't make me sick, humidity is the first thing that comes to my mind.
What are the summers infamous for where you live that may not be well known outside of your state?
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