Sunday, June 13, 2010

Gobal what? just warming? How 'bout hotting.

The past two days were in the 90's. One with little sun, and today, with FULL sun. I'm in the middle of garlic harvest. Guess what people...it's damned hot out there.

I can remember when I was a 10 year old, hot was a condition and didn't affect my dailty routine. I got my first life guarding job when I was 16, and sat in the sun 8 to 10 hours a day...it was hot, but not unbearable.

Listen, while I pontificate. My thesis is simple. As you get older, the feeling of heat and cold, become more intense to us. Especially for little ole me.

I baited my 10 yearold grandson into helping me dig a row of garlic today. All I had to do was take him swimming at Bob and Martha's pool. I sorta' wanted to go, anyway. It was about 3:30 when we started. I rode the tractor, undecutting the bulbs and Jacob pulled and loaded the truck cart behind me.

When I got to the end of the row I joined him, and he stood up looked at me and said, "Man, it's hot". Now when a 10 year old tells you it's hot, I already know it...and I was driving the tractor! We finished our task, headed for the drying shed and drank a quart of water each. He didn't even ask for Coke, a minor first.

I lived in West Virginia, Vermont, Virginia, during my 20's 30's . The mid Atlantic States are dandies in the summer but they suck in the winter. That's why I went to California. If you don't like the weather, drive 2 hours in any direction. I lived at 4000 feet, just below the snow line, and above the fog in the winter. Summer temp about 85 to 90 every day in the summer...at 5000 feet you stand in the shadow of  a big tree, and put on your sweater. Go over the coast range to San Francisco from Fresno, and take your bluejeans and sweaters. Cross country ski shirtless in Janurary in Sequoia Park. Been there, done it.

Friend of mine called from W Va yesterday, said it was in the high 80's in mid June. What's going on? He was handling it well by sitting in Sleepy Creek with a 6 pack of his favorite beverage. I could only envy him, as I slogged away in the field. But hey, I've lost 12 pounds. He's got a long summer ahead of him in the creek, I'm afraid, gonna look like a prune by September. 

I think it is getting hotter around the world, by its ownself, with a little help from us. The whyfor's and whereas's are for those much smarter than I to explain it away. I know as I get older and fatter, summer hurts more, and winter is just fine in the Southeast, thanks. 

As younguns' we had fans, but no air conditioning in our homes or cars...we three kids slept out in a pup tent just about every night in the summers.  Best of all, school started Monday after Labor Day and was out by Memorial Day Weekend. I was always jealous that the real country kids got out of going to school for Sept and part of October to pick cotton. sorta' miss those times.

 At least Jerry has a creek to sit in...for the time being. Might have to go for a visit in July. Move over JW, Sleepy Creek's gonna have a house guest if it stays this hot in Georgia all summer!

1 comment:

  1. I had the same feeling, about getting older and feeling the heat more, standing out in the baking saltmarsh today. My heart was actually pounding to get the blood around quicker -- the kind of heat that makes you lightheaded if you move too fast. When we got back to the boat, the thermometer in my bag (out of the full sun) read 105. All I could think was, 20 years ago I used to amble through the neighborhood without a hat in this kind of heat, and it was nothing at all.

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