I grew up in the South. Until I was about twelve or thirteen, we did not have air conditioning. My niece Sharon and I (she is two and a half years younger than I) played outside all day long as I recall. I really don’t remember the heat being all that intense. Maybe it’s just old age playing tricks on my memory. I remember we drank water out of the backyard hose after we learned to let it run long enough to get cool! I remember picking fresh tomatoes from the vine and fruit from the trees and eating those. We were healthy kids who were seldom sick. Must be something to be said for lots of fresh air and sunshine.
Now, I feel the heat intensely – the heat and the humidity. I live in Iowa and it is just about as hot and humid here as in the South. About this time every year, I think Alaska sounds like a good idea!
The “dog days of summer” are those last hot days from the end of July to about the middle of August. The flowers have bloomed and they’re looking a little worse for wear now. The grass struggles to get enough rain during this dry season and we are grateful for every inch of rain that falls. I begin to look forward to Fall just as the pages of the calendar approach the beginning of August. Of course, Autumn is my favorite season and that could have something to do with it. Autumn just does not last long enough…
