Most of us would try and plant our plants when the weather is cooler, wetter, and generally more comfortable to be out in the elements. During the hot sun work in the garden can be very intensive, hot and backbreaking! In some regions of Australia however, gardeners may not have a choice but to plant during hot weather. Their climates simply do not get much cooler, or when it’s cooler it may be too dry. Often also, when it is cooler, nights may be too cold for plants to settle in well.

Fortunately many plants can successfully thrive, even when planted during hot weather, when you take some simple precaution when you plant them. The first thing you will need to take into account is water. Water may be lacking naturally in the soil already, being a hot, possibly desert type area, and it is crucial to water adequately.

You need to start by digging your planting hole to the appropriate size, nice and big with some organic matter and fertile soil to add back into it. You then need to fill the hole with water. This is a good idea in any climate, but absolutely crucial if your climate is hot and dry! If you are putting the same soil back in the hole, make sure you water this a bit as well so you aren’t putting bone dry soil back into the planting hole.

To make the water go further, you could consider adding soil amending elements to your planting hole. Peat Moss and Coco Peat, or other similar things, hold water well and would release it slowly to the roots of the plants. You could add some water saving granules or water crystals to save additional water. Add some of your new soil mixture to the planting hole.

Make sure your plant is also water well before you place it in the hole. Water it well in the pot it is currently in, or, if it has trouble taking up water, place the whole plant, pot and all, in a bucket of water and let it soak. Once the soil of the plant is nice and wet, put the plant with root ball into the hole. Keep watering the hole so it stays nice and wet.

Back-fill the hole evenly around the plants’ root ball. If the water is draining away quickly, keep adding water while you backfill. If the water is forming a pool, reduce the flow of water so it doesn’t run out of the hole. Once you have fully filled up the hole, compress the soil around the plant so it’s nice and steady and cannot move. Movement would break off newly grown roots and stops proper settling in of the plant.

Water the plant in the hole well, and form a well around the plant by building a small wall around the hole. The wall will keep the water you give the plant where it’s needed; right above the root ball. It also gives the water a chance to soak into the right spot without having wasteful run off. Fertiliser will also be delivered to the roots of the plant without waste.

Don’t forget to mulch your newly created walled well thickly, at least 10cm deep, or 4″. You can use anything from grass clippings to sugar cane mulch, hay, straw or anything else that might be available in your area. Keep the mulch away from the trunk a little bit, so the mulch does not rot the trunk of the plant.

Following these simple steps will ensure you are giving your plants the very best start in life, wether your climate is hot or cold!

As most everyone already knows, we did not always have scientific means to predict or forecast the coming weather. People long ago and even today use the other things to predict the weather; animal behavior, patterns they observe and good old fashion folklore and wives tales.

If for some unknown reason you were in a place that had nothing new and modern and you had to rely on something else then it never hurts to at least be aware of what is out there, so familiarize yourself with some of the old-time methods used. Of course these methods are neither perfect nor fool-proof, but they really do have their usefulness.

GENERAL WEATHER AND FORMULAS

Deaths occur most often when the tide is going out.

Births occur when the tide is coming in.

You could measure the distance of a storm by counting from the flash of the lightning to the sound of thunder.

Winter thunder means snow within 10 days.

Make a campfire. The smoke should rise steadily. Smoke that swirls and descends is caused by low pressure (i.e. rain on the way).

Take a deep breath. Close your eyes and smell the air.

Plants release their waste in a low pressure atmosphere, generating a smell like compost and indicating an upcoming rain.

Swamps will release gasses just before a storm because of the lower pressure, which leads to unpleasant smells.

A proverb says “Flowers smell best just before a rain.” Scents are stronger in moist air, associated with rainy weather.

Grow some scarlet pimpernel – Known as the Poor Man’s Barometer, its flowers close when atmospheric pressure decreases and rain is on the way. Dandelions and tulips do the same.

You can predict the weather with a persimmon seed. Here’s how to do it:

Cut open a persimmon seed.

Look at the shape of the kernel inside.

If the kernel is spoon-shaped, lots of heavy, wet snow will fall. Spoon = shovel!

If it is fork-shaped, you can expect powdery, light snow and a mild winter.

If the kernel is knife-shaped, expect to be “cut” by icy, cutting winds.

It’s best to use ripe seeds.

Did you know that you can tell the temperature by counting the chirps of a cricket? It’s true! Here’s the formula:

To convert cricket chirps to degrees Fahrenheit, count numbers of chirps in 14 seconds then add 40 to get temperature.

Example: 30 chirps + 40 = 70° F

To convert cricket chirps to degrees Celsius, count number of chirps in 25 seconds, divide by 3, and then add 4 to get temperature.

Example: 48 chirps /(divided by) 3 + 4 = 20° C

Reading a Pig’s spleen can predict the weather

Divide the spleen from top to bottom into 6 parts.

The top closest to the head shows current month.

Bottom is the last of the six months.

Where the spleen thickens, a change in the weather is indicated, usually pointing to a cold spell.

Where there’s a pronounced bulge, expect even more inclement weather.

Reading a Goose Bone

Watch the coloration as the bone dries.

If the bone turned blue, black, or purple, a cold winter lay ahead.

White indicated a mild winter.

Purple tips were a sure sign of a cold spring.

A blue color branching out toward the edge of the bone meant open weather until New Year’s Day.

If the bone was a dark color, or blue all over, the prediction was for a real bad winter.

The woolly bear caterpillar-with its 13 distinct segments of black and reddish-brown-has the reputation of being able to forecast the coming winter weather. According to legend, the wider that middle brown section is (i.e., the more brown segments there are), the milder the coming winter will be. Conversely, a narrow brown band is said to predict a harsh winter.

ANIMALS

If a deer or cow has extra layers of fat when slaughtered there will be a bad winter coming.

Cows that suddenly gather beneath large trees means rain is coming.

Expect rain when dogs eat grass.

Expect rain when cats purr and wash.

Expect rain when sheep turn into the wind.

Expect rain when oxen sniff the air.

Expect rain when swine are restless.

If the deer are out early grazing there is big storm coming.

Squirrels’ nesting in dead trees instead of making nests of leaves mean a harsh winter.

If the cows in pastures are all lying down, it’s a sure sign of rain.

If the bull leads the cows to pasture, expect rain.

if the cows precede the bull, the weather will be uncertain.

When cats sneeze, it is a sign of rain.

Bats flying late in the evening indicate fair weather.

If the groundhog sees its shadow on Candlemas Day (February 2), six more weeks of winter remain.

When horses and cattle stretch out their necks and sniff the air, it will rain.

If the mole digs its hole 2½ feet deep, expect severe weather.

If the mole digs its hole two feet deep, not so severe weather.

If the mole digs its hole one foot deep, expect a mild winter.

When pigs gather leaves and straw in all, expect a cold winter.

When rabbits are fat in October and November, expect a long, cold winter.

If sheep ascend hills and scatter, expect clear weather.

Wolves always howl more before a storm.

BIRDS

Birds singing in the rain indicates fair weather approaching.

If birds in the autumn grow tame, the winter will be too cold for game.

Partridges drumming in the fall mean a mild and open winter.

Chickens cackle and owls howl just before rain.

If crows fly in pairs, expect fine weather; a crow flying alone is a sign of foul weather.

When fowls roost in daytime, expect rain.

Seagulls tend to stop flying and take refuge at the coast if a storm is coming.

Animals, especially birds, get very quiet immediately before it rains.

The whiteness of a goose’s breastbone indicates the kind of winter: A red of dark-spotted bone means a cold and stormy winter; few or light-colored spots mean a mild winter.

When domestic geese walk east and fly west, expect cold weather.

Hawks flying high means a clear sky. When they fly low, prepare for a blow.

Petrels’ gathering under the stern of a ship indicates bad weather.

When the rooster goes crowing to bed, he will rise with watery head.

When seagulls fly inland, expect a storm.

When the swallow’s nest is high, the summer is very dry.

When the swallow builds low, you can safely reap and sow.

A very old wives tale says if birds feed in a storm it will rain for a long time, if they don’t it will clear soon.

INSECTS AND REPTILES

If ants their walls do frequent build, rain will from the clouds be spilled.

Ants are busy, gnats bite, crickets sing louder than usual, spiders come down from their webs, and flies gather in houses just before rain.

When bees to distance wing their flight, days are warm and skies are bright; But when their flight ends near their come, stormy weather is sure to come.

Turtles often search for higher ground when a large amount of rain is expected. You will often see them in the road during this period (1 to 2 days before the rain.)

Fireflies in great numbers indicate fair weather.

When hornets build their nests near the ground, expect a cold and early winter.

When cicadas are heard, dry weather will follow, and frost will come in six weeks.

When spiders’ webs in air do fly, the spell will soon be very dry.

Spiders in motion indicate rain.

If you kill a spider indoors, it will bring rain.

If you killed a snake hang it over a fence and it will rain.

When spider-webs are wet with dew that soon dries, expect a fine day.

Spider-webs floating at autumn sunset bring a night frost.

The louder the frogs croak, the more the rain.

Frogs singing in the evening indicates fair weather the next day.

Leeches kept in glass jars are active just before rain.

Hang up a snake-skin and it will bring rain.

RAIN AND CLOUDS

Unusual clearness in the atmosphere, with distant objects seen distinctly, indicates rain.

Red skies at night, Sailor’s delight. Red skies at morning, Sailor take warning.

Evening red and morning gray are sure signs of a fine day. Evening gray and morning red put on your hat or you’ll wet your head.

If it rains before seven, it will clear before eleven.

When the wind blows the leaves on the trees upside down there will be a bad rain.

Rain from the south prevents the drought, but rain from the west is always best.

Anvil-shaped clouds bring on a gale.

A cloud with a round top and flat base carries rainfall on its face.

When small clouds join and thicken, expect rain.

Black clouds in the north in winter indicate approaching snow.

When there is enough blue sky to patch a Dutchman’s breeches, expect clearing weather.

A curdle sky will not leave the earth long dry.

If you see clouds going crosswind, there is a storm in the air.

Hen scarts and filly tails make lofty ships wear low sails.

Clouds floating low enough to cast shadows on the ground are usually followed by rain.

Mackerel sky, mackerel sky, never long wet, never long dry.

If three nights dewless there be, ’twill rain, you’re sure to see.

If heavy dew soon dries, expect fine weather; if it lingers on the grass, expect rain in 24 hours.

With dew before midnight, the next day sure will be bright.

If you wet your feet with dew in the morning, you may keep them dry for the rest of the day.

The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.

If you spot wispy, thin clouds up where jet airplanes fly, expect a spell of pleasant weather.

If small puff clouds (cumulus) in the morning or early afternoon have rounded tops and flat bases, if they grow higher than the cloud’s width, then there’s a chance of a thunderstorm forming.

Clear Moon, frost soon.

Ring around the moon and it will rain real soon.

If the night is clear enough to see the Moon and the temperature drops enough, frost will form. Expect a chilly morning!

When clouds appear like towers, the Earth is refreshed by frequent showers.

Rainbow in the morning gives you fair warning.

A rainbow in the morning indicates that a shower is west of us and we will probably get it.

Rain foretold, long last. Short notice, soon will pass.

The gray overcast dominating the horizon means a large area is affected.

If you get caught in a surprise shower, it’s likely to be short-lived.

Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.

When the moon points up, the weather will be good.

when the moon points down, it will rain.

When a large star, or planet, is near the moon, the weather will be violent.

If the new moon is on Monday, then the weather will be good.

If a new moon occurs on a Saturday, then there will be twenty days of wind and rain.

If a new moon occurs on a Sunday, there will be a flood before the month is over.

The strongest storms and hurricanes are likely to be 1-3 days after a new moon and 3-5 days after a full moon.

Fog and a small moon bring an easterly winds.

A dry moon is far north and soon seen.

If the new moon is far north, it will be cold for two weeks.

If the new moon is far south, it will be warm.

When the moon runs low, expect warm weather.

When racing tipsters make their predictions, they have to consider factors like the horse’s health, age, and performances on past races. Also, the tipster has to study weather conditions, race track conditions, and jockey-horse chemistry to make a relatively accurate guess or prediction on which horse will finish first. Most of these salient factors are too scientific and complicated for regular punters. But you can easily learn how to observe the weather and see how it affects how horses run in a certain race.

Watch Horses Run In The Rain

A soggy horse track is a good way to observe how horses perform when it rains during a race. You see, some horses seem to run better on wet tracks while others do not. Some horses prefer dry tracks instead of wet ones. That is why you have to know how a particular horse fared in rain-drenched tracks compared to dry race tracks. If the horse runs well in both wet and dry tracks, then you don’t have to consider weather as a contributing factor to your horse racing tips. However, if there are inconsistencies and you can’t see a positive trend, this means that weather greatly affects how the horses run in the race.

Correlate Weather With How The Horse Finishes In A Race

So that you can test if the horse racing tips that you get are any good, you can associate the past performances of a particular horse and the weather conditions of its previous races. If you find out that the horse tends to finish in the top 2 when it rains, you should put your money on that horse only if the weather bureau forecasts rain in that particular race. Tipsters think that way when they factor in weather conditions into their horse racing tips. When the day is sunny and the track is dry and hot, they would never put your money on a horse which tends to perform well when it rains.

Do Not Push Your Luck

You also have to remember that in very harsh weather conditions, some horses may win out of pure luck. The win may be a fluke. Unless you really know that the horse you are betting on thrives in bad weather conditions, the best thing do is to think that all horses have fairly equal odds to finish first. An underdog can basically outrun the favorite in any given race. Yet, your horse racing tips will tell you that a certain horse’s odds are lower than most, and that is where you should put your money on.

Professional tipsters, be it on the race tracks or online, rely so heavily on steady figures and stats to come up with very accurate predictions. That is why consistency is very important if you want to study the role of weather in predicting the outcome of horse races. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to study the relationship between weather patterns and the horses’ performance during earlier races to get horse racing tips.

Playing Cornhole has changed a lot in the last 20 years. What started out as a college game in the Midwest in the 1990’s, has morphed into a nationwide outdoor game phenomenon, enjoyed by all ages and walks of life. The game of Cornhole has gained more notoriety and respect progressing from an occasional outdoor game to a legitimate sport, complete with its own governing body: The American Cornhole Association. For many people, it is critically important to have consistency and standards in place, specifically with the composition of Cornhole bags.

Like the name implies, Cornhole bags were originally filled with corn. However, corn filled bags have a few inherent drawbacks, which can affect the performance and durability of your bags. Corn is an organic substance, and like any organic substance, will change when in contact with water. When your Cornhole bags get wet from dew, rain or beer individual kernels within the bag will swell up absorbing the liquid. Now your Cornhole bag is swollen and heavy. With increased size and weight comes added pressure on the bags bindings (stitching), and affects the accuracy when tossed. Like anything else that is no longer living, the introduction of water speeds up the decaying process, which isn’t good for your kernels or bags. As the liquid from the kernels is evaporated, the kernels shrink and the process of expanding and contracting repeats with each liquid encounter-not good.

One of the most common complaints of corn filled bags is that they are targeted by animals. Mice, chipmunks and squirrels will be quite interested in corn filled bags (even more so if they’ve gotten wet) and that’s not good. And where there are small rodents, the predators are soon to follow- snakes, yikes!

The good news is that plastic resin filled all-weather Cornhole bags are available and becoming a popular alternative to corn. Resin bags weight exactly the same as corn filled bags; will not absorb water and decay. Plastic resin is not at all interesting to rodents so you won’t need to be on the lookout for Black Rat Snakes in your grass lurking for tasty rodents. The all-weather resin filled Cornhole bags are becoming more popular at the beach and around pools. If you are looking for the same quality of play but less mess you will find the all-weather resin filled corn hole bags a great alternative to corn filled corn hole bags.

Belize experiences only wet and dry seasons and they can be classified specifically by months. Actual weather conditions change every year, but once the pattern starts, weather becomes very predictable.

January

Belize experiences little rainfall during January. Only in the uplands of the Maya Mountains have rainfall of about nine to 10 inches. The northern area of the country may experience less than 10 inches of rain. In the southern area, Mayan bean crops are starting to mature, while the northern area sugar cane harvests are in full blossom.

February

February tends to have the most consistent of weather conditions in Belize. The winds are quite dry and blow steadily. Morning showers come from the coastlines–steady, but not very often. Rainfall falls to about six inches during this month in Toledo, while the rest of the country gets only about an inch.

March

The weather for March is quite similar to February except in the northern part of the country, which experiences much less rain, and sometimes, almost none. Winds start to die down during this month. Thunderstorms start to threaten the land over Maya Mountains. This is the month when farmers start to harvest their crops.

April

Rainy season starts during this month and harvest is in full swing.

May

The rainy season is in full force and almost every part of the country is assured of some rain fall. In some areas, the rain is stronger. This is also the stormy season, with the south experiencing more frequent rain than the north.

June

Rain continues to pour and becomes heavier during this month. Winds start to build up once again. With the consistency of the rain and strong sunshine, this is the best time to start growing the crops.

July

Rainfall is a bit less compared to June, but everything else with regard to weather conditions is quite similar to the previous month.

August

Rainfall starts to relent and the dry season starts. The dry weather conditions may last for only a few weeks.

September

September sees the winds start to die down. Evening and night rains are common.

October

Northern cold winds start to pick up and meet the warm winds of the tropics, bringing rain. Cooler days start during this month.

November

This is the coldest month of the season. Not only do the cold winds from the north blow the strongest, breeze from the coast comes in as well. Rain continues to fall.

December

December marks the start of dry season and planning starts for the planting season.

Outdoor furniture can be a great addition to any home, giving you the opportunity to enjoy your outdoor space as much as possible. Whether you have invested in a full dining set for all those al fresco meals that you enjoy in the summer, or instead just have a day bed to lounge upon on the weekend, keeping these items in top condition is very important.

Whether you buy the items offline or online, outdoor furniture can be a big investment of money. This is especially true if you decide to spend your money on higher quality items, as you will no doubt be paying for the benefits of having well constructed and long lasting materials and designs.

Despite the quality of the outdoor furniture you have bought, however, there are several things that you can do to ensure its longevity and get as much use out of it as possible. Here are a few tips to help you achieve this.

The first thing to do when looking to protect your furniture is consider your particular geographical location and the weather conditions that your items will likely be subjected to on a regular basis. Both sun and rain can cause problems over time, wearing down both natural and synthetic materials and leaving your furniture brittle and damaged.

If you live in a rainy area, consider using a water sealant on your wooden furniture to protect it from moisture. This can still preserve the look of the wood, and is available from many local hardware stores, wherever you are in the world.

The sun can also cause damage, but unfortunately no sun sealant exists on the market! One way to protect from sun damage is to paint your wooden furniture, as this will provide a barrier between the sun and the wood. The downside of this, of course, is that you will lose the natural wood look of your items. There are many attractive looks that you can achieve with paint, however.

There is another solution to protecting your furniture however that does not involve painting it. Wood stains are widely available both offline and online, and outdoor furniture is afforded a significant amount of both water and sun protection if you choose a high quality brand and reapply it regularly, around every two years.

To protect your outdoor furniture, you should also take steps to protect the fabric that covers it, including your cushions, sofa covers, outdoor carpets and any other fabric in your outdoor space. Saying this, there are many high quality retailers on the maker now selling tough, soft and extremely durable polyester covers which will stand up to water and sun damage for a long time.

There are still many things you can do to prolong the life of these fabrics, however, including applying a fabric protector that is especially designed to adding water proofing protection and fade resistant qualities. If you are unsure whether this will work with your particular fabric, check with the manufacturer what they recommended to ensure the longevity of your products.

Finally, the best way to ensure that your outdoor furniture is protected is by storing it correctly, especially when the weather is bad. If items stay outside all year round, despite the fact you use them infrequently, they are likely to experience a great deal more damage and therefore last for a shorter period of time.

With many tips for storing items available via guides online, your outdoor furniture has no reason not be protected through taking adequate precautions. Invest in treating your items with care and they will be sure to provide you with hours upon hours of use and last you for many long years to come.

If you’re feeling lethargic, sickly, or otherwise under the weather most of the time, you might be suffering from digestive problems. Ever heard of the saying, “health starts in the gut?” It can’t be more true — and the worse your digestive health is, the worse your overall health will be. Here’s how to tell if you need to improve your digestive health.

How many times do you have a bowel movement in one day? If your answer is anything less than two, it’s likely your digestive system isn’t in the pink of health. It’s much worse if you often go a few days before doing your thing. If you eat three meals a day, then a good digestive system would encourage a bowel movement three times a day as well (two at least).

It’s a little icky to think about, but the average person has about six or seven meals sitting around in their colon. Left alone, they can turn asphalt-hard, and stick to the walls of your colon, threatening blockages. Blockages, in turn, can lead to colon cancer — a very painful way to go, if you ask me!

Here are three quick ways to improve your digestive health:

#1 – Drink more water. Water is the main medium of flushing out toxins and waste material from the body, and more water will help cleanse your digestive system. More water will also contribute to the digestion of…

#2 -…fiber, the nutrient most responsible for a healthy digestive system. Fiber can be taken from fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. You can also get fiber from a few natural food supplements, such as Acai berry.

Grilling isn’t just for the summer season. Take your grill out of hibernation and start prepping it for the cold weather. Don’ forget to dress warmly and practice some safety precautions as grilling during the winter season is different from grilling during any other time of the year.

Here are 3 delicious barbecue dishes that you can grill during the winter season:

Maple Bacon-Wrapped Grilled Carrots

What you need:

• 1 kilogram carrots, scrubbed and peeled
• 1/2 kilogram bacon
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Combine maple syrup and Dijon mustard in a small bowl and set aside. Wrap each carrot with bacon, securing with a toothpick. Arrange bacon-wrapped carrots on a grill pan then cook on a pre-heated grill over medium heat, turning once, for 15 to 20 minutes or until bacon is cooked through and carrots are tender. Brush with maple-mustard mixture halfway through and right before removing from the grill. Serve immediately.

Grilled Sour Cream and BBQ Chicken Nachos

What you need:

• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
• 1/2 avocado, chopped
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 2 cups finely grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup tortilla chips
• 1 cup cooked chicken meat
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Heavy duty aluminium foil

Toss cooked chicken with 1/4 cup barbecue sauce and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine remaining barbecue sauce and sour cream. Crimp the sides of the foil to make a “boat”. Arrange tortilla chips at the bottom followed by 1 3/4 cups cheese. Top with saucy chicken. Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese on top of chicken. Seal foil and cook on a pre-heated grill over high heat for 6 to 8 minutes or when cheese has melted. Allow a few minutes to cool. Then add avocado, onion, tomato, jalapeno and cilantro. Drizzle sour cream mixture over nachos. Serve immediately.

Grilled Potato Volcanoes

What you need:

• 2 large potatoes, scrubbed and partially cooked
• 8 slices bacon
• 4 slices smoked turkey deli meat, sliced into squares
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons diced onions
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce

In a small bowl, combine sour cream and hot sauce. Refrigerate until potatoes are ready to be served. Slice off 1/4-inch from the bottom of each potato to allow it to stand while cooking. Using an apple corer, remove the middle of the potatoes, leaving 1 inch from the base. Wrap each potato with 2 slices of bacon each. Fill each potato with layers of deli meat and cheddar cheese. Cook on a pre-heated grill until potatoes are tender. To serve, remove toothpicks then pour sour cream mixture over it. Top with onions.

These 3 mouth-watering winter barbecue recipes will surely warm you during the cold season!

Did you know, or realize, that sheepskin is sold more often in warm climates, than in cold ones? Sheepskin (meaning the skin of the sheep with the fleece still intact) has a track record of being great in cold weather because of its insulating ability, which keeps the air around the covered area warm. That’s great for the cold–but the question above wants to know about hot weather.

Look at these facts about sheepskin: if you WEAR sheepskin, it will be too warm if the temperature reaches near 80 degrees. When the weather is over 80 degrees, everything becomes HOT! The exception is going to be your exposed skin–interested?

Find out why: Sheepskin is an excellent insulator from heat build-up on seats where you will be sitting. The fleece of sheepskin has air spaces around the hair fibers. In winter, warm air is trapped and circulates, keeping you warm. In summer, the hair fibers allow the air to circulate so you stay cool. The fleece breathes and wicks away any moisture from the body, so sweat is essentially eliminated. The sheepskin fibers can hold about 30% moisture, keeping the moisture away from your skin. This is how it works in BOTH winter and summer.

You may have been remembering sun-drenched places that usually scald you when you sit down, that, when covered with sheepskin, aren’t going to have that effect. Be thinking of not only vinyl seats, but also leather seats. These might include your car seats, your infant car seat, your motorcycle seat, your bicycle seat, your saddle seat, your riding cart seat, your wheelchair seat, your golf cart seat, your airplane seat(?) (yep, that one, too) and though not a seat, it can be scalding, your steering wheel. (Listed are the obvious surfaces that are usually in the sun. You may come up with more ideas. Ask, and it shall be covered!)). Additional comfort can be had year-round on inside seats, too, such as office chairs, that comfy recliner, stools that medical professionals sit on, and my favorite, a sheepskin pelt thrown over the back of your sitting chair.

You may be thinking—well, I have a polyester (or even a different kind of fabric) cover over my seat, and it does just fine. It sort of keeps me cool–not really cool, but sort of. It makes me hot when I sit on it too long. It’s a bit warm when the sun hits it, but the skin on my legs remains intact. Not really a good comparison. Sheepskin doesn’t get ‘warm’ to the point of ‘sort of” burning your legs, back, or whatever part hits the sunny area, but truly protects your skin from any inkling of a burn, and totally from sweating. Sheepskin is known for maintaining a consistent temperature, in heat or in cold. The benefit of knowing you can crawl into your vehicle with no bad memories is worth a whole lot! Summer is hot and everything touched by the sun becomes hot! Sheepskin tricks the sun so there’s no more blistering yer posterior!

“Weather Girl” is a frothy romantic comedy about a “sassy weather girl” who has an on-air meltdown. On the Seattle morning TV show, she reveals that the show’s anchor has cheated on her. Tricia O’Kelley (“Gilmore Girls”) plays weather girl Sylvia Miller and after her career suicide finds herself with no job, no boyfriend, and no apartment. With no savings, she is forced to move in with her younger brother Walt, played by Ryan Devlin. He and his best friend, Byron (Patrick J. Adams) suck as a support team and hinder her return to sanity. Attempting to cope at age 35, she relies on her gal-buddies (Kaitlin Olson & Alex Kapp Horner) for advice. They set her up with an accountant (Jon Cryer) who on their first date has their life together planned out down to the number and sex of their children.

After a series of job interviews, which laughingly focus on her meltdown, she has to take a job as a waitress working for restaurant owner J.D played Jane Lynch. Driven into despair she begins an unlikely romance with a younger man, her brother’s best friend. They promise each other it’s nothing more than a physical relationship, yet it slowly grows into a repressed love affair.

While predictable and lighthearted, “Weather Girl” delivers with a fast-moving scenario that is always fun and entertaining. What makes it likeable is a cast that polarizes the story and gives it emotional definition. Mark Harman (“NCIS”) plays the sleazy lecherous anchor whose persuasive powers seem as empty as his teleprompter readings. It’s a cardboard character, but well-done cardboard character and even in his comeuppance scene he remains callous and despicable as he attempts to rewrite the truth. Tricia O’Kelley is the energy force in this film. When her world comes tumbling down, she plays her role with spunk rather than seeking piety. She could have been much stronger were it not for her facial gyrations, as it made it difficult to grip what’s going on inside.

The brother and his friend provide a disruptive counterpoint to the Sylvia’s aims, but they are too much alike in looks and attitude to make a strong impact as individuals. The insightful cameos by Jane Lynch, (“Two & a Half Men”) Kaitlin Olson (“Two & a Half Men”) and Alex Kapp Horner (“The New Adventures of Old Christine”) bring the women’s viewpoint to the story in a comic and ironic way. They tell us that marriage and a job, any job, any man is more important than a loving relationship. Jon Cryer’s (“Two & a Half Men”) brilliant portrayal of the anal-thinking accountant is the catalyst that turns Sylvia away from any serious relationship to one that is purely physical. Enrico Colantoni cleverly plays the show’s TV director, one who knows the potential of confrontational television. You will like his choices in choosing camera angles.

Production values are first-rate. Shot on location in Seattle and Los Angeles, the film has a beautiful sense of space, timing, and direction, a tribute to writer/director Blayne Weaver. With marquee television stars, the film should play well in theatres but its best home will likely be on the small screen where its prime demographic target audience resides.

CREDITS: “Weather Girl” stars Tricia O’Kelley, Patrick J. Adams, Ryan Devlin, Mark Harmon, Kaitlin Olson, Alex Kapp Horner, Marin Hinkle, Jon Cryer, and Jane Lynch. Written and Directed by Blayne Weaver; Produced by Secret Identity in association with Steakhaus Productions and Tricia O’Kelley; Cinematography by Brandon Trost; Edited by Abe Levy; Production Design by Michael Fitzgerald; Art Direction by Samson Kellman; Production Sound Mixer: George Flores; Costume design by Sarah Trost; Key Makeup by Keri Ann Luevano, Original Music by Andrew Hollander. Running Time: 92 minutes. Rated R. Available on DVD.