“It’s too hot,” they say. “I miss my rain,” they lament. “Where are the clouds?” they ask.

They justify their aversion to summer weather by slowly repeating PEMCO’s “We’re a lot like you, a little different” mantra. “There must be others like me,” they insist, though they’re never quite sure.

They most closely identify with the insurance company’s “First Snowflake Freakout Lady,” only replace snowflake with “90-degree day” and you’ve got yourself a winner.

Every summer, they promise to install an air conditioner in their homes, while they drudge on in stuffy houses with just box fans. When fall returns, though, they proceed to talk their way out of it, telling themselves there’s no reason to buy a unit they’ll use for just a few months. It’s a never-ending cycle.

They moved to the Northwest from a sunny state, possibly California or Arizona. When friends and family ask if they’ll ever move back, they say, “I can’t. It’s too hot.”

Fear not, though, Newcastle offers a few things to do for the summer-weather weary.

Go to the library — There is arguably no better way to escape the sun’s gaze, than to curl up with a nice book in an air-conditioned atmosphere. The Newcastle Library is so much more than a cool place to hang out, though. It also offers programs and events for all ages. Might we suggest stopping by July 25 for Newcastle resident Italene Gaddis’ concert?

It’s time for zoëyogurt — When a cool, yogurt-filled cup is in your hands, you’ll almost forget the thermometer reads 90 degrees outside. Don’t leave Newcastle without a stop at locally owned zoëyogurt where a vast, dizzying topping bar awaits.

Take shelter under a tent — It will still be warm, but at least you won’t feel the sun’s rays when you take shelter under the Newcastle Fruit & Produce’s red-and-white tent. Since you’re there, you might as well pick up a basket, or two, of juicy strawberries.

See, there are a lot of things that summer-weather detractors can do while they patiently wait for the rain, wind and clouds to return.

And now that another summer has returned, I — I mean, “they” — will catch a flick, grab some ice cream and appreciate the sunshine, fully secure in, and relieved by, the fact that it’s only temporary in the big, beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Now, you can add Nothing Between Me and My Tan Man to the list of quirky Northwest characters, thanks to inspiration from Newcastle native Alex Bell.

Bell, a 2009 Liberty High School graduate, won a PEMCO video contest in 2012, as the company sought new profiles for its “We’re A Lot Like You. A Little Different.” advertising campaign.

He and a team of fellow University of Southern California film school students created a 30-second video poking fun at Northwesterners who leave the sunscreen at home in the hopes of soaking up the sun on their way to a natural tan. But the result is often more sunburn than tan, as the video illustrated.

“For better or for worse, it’s just one of those things you see — it’s so Northwest to be able to tell who spent the weekend outdoors,” Bell said in a news release.

Bell and his group made up of USC classmates Austin Thompson, Edd Benda and Ron Hill, got $5,000 for the contest win.

“I think I can speak for all of us when I say the whole ‘poor, starving artist’ thing has some truth to it,” Bell told the Newcastle News in 2012. “So, it’s nice to be able to have some money to spend toward future endeavors.”

PEMCO hadn’t done anything with the winning submission until the company unveiled it as one of its newest Northwest Profiles in July 2014.

While a student at Liberty, Bell had already caught the filmmaking bug and went on to produce video highlights of the Patriots’ sports teams and a video for the school administration, titled, “A Day in the Life at Liberty.”

Bell, who grew up in Newcastle, also won a Newcastle Chamber of Commerce Diamond Award for his community service work in 2007.

See all of PEMCO’s recognizable Northwest Profiles at www.werealotlikeyou.com.