I recently moved into a new home in a very nice neighborhood. The housing development was recently established. The lots have only been available for just a few years, but there are still many families already here and well established. I really like my new home. I like the design and I appreciate the spaciousness. However, I feel like there were too many trees cut down! My other house was at the edge of a small forest and my home was hemmed in by trees on three sides. I never really thought about the fact that this offered an ample amount of shade, which naturally made my house much cooler. Now that I live in an area that has far less shade, I have come to realize that my air conditioner unit did not have to work nearly as hard in my previous home because of the shade. Though I enjoy my new home, the sun bares down on the house throughout the day, and it makes it significantly warmer than what I am used to. The sunlight is also a little too intense for my liking. I will have to try and mitigate the effects of the direct sunlight on my windows by investing in heavy, dark curtains. I am sure this will reduce the strain on my air conditioning system and keep the home generally cooler and more comfortable. Sometimes, you don't even realize that you are benefiting from something until you lose it. Like I said, I love my new home but I will have to get used to the lack of shade.