I check out the predicted and actual temps in both our primary home and our Wisconsin hideaway each day on weather.com.

Although our house in IL is small and totally shaded by trees, by mid-May, when the temps hit the 80's mark, we seem to need air conditioning running in at least one room.Its not the heat, its that heavy, sticky  "humid" air. Granted we are about 30 miles west of Lake Michigan so "cooler by the lake" certainly does not apply here.

But even if temps get HIGHER up north, we merely open a window or two, let a ceiling fan run, and we are all completely comfortable. The humidity seems nonexistent there. Now at that location we are about 6 miles for a good-sized lake (technically a "flowage" as its a dammed-up part of the Wisconsin river).

I have come to the conclusion that its not humidity that's holding heat heavy in the suburban air - its POLLUTION. Our Northeast Illinois air is a swampy soup of various pollutants...how could it not retain some fo the sun's warmth? Sadly, even the greenery planted everywhere there isn't concrete can't offset the relentless spew of car/truck fumes.

Ironically, much of the groundwater, as well as the lake up north are polluted in some way - either by nitrites from agricultrual runoff or (in the case of the lake) phosphates flowing downriver from the paper mills. The water in our well up there tested "safe for human consumption" by the county but we stick with bottled water, anyway. I use the well water for washing, etc. Down the road we may have a new well dug - ours is currently only 25ft deep. When we had a well in our IL house the water was gloriously clean and delicious - but the well was over 100ft deep.

I'm trying my best to keep our daily polluting to minimal levels - we recycle EVERYTHING, use as little electricity as possible, don't use the car unless we have to, and try no to run the A/C unless it gets unbearable in the house.

If you want to see the pollution over the Chicago skyline, check out the Midwest Haze-cam!