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Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Tips for beating the heat
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Man, it’s hot!,” my friend Todd said the other day.
We had been enjoying a frosty beverage at the watering hole, doing everything within our power to escape the maddening heat and humidity. “I grew up in Tampa, and I don’t remember it ever being this stifling.”
I remember the heat wave back in 1980. I was 15 years old at the time. Atlanta was just as frenetic, if not quite so populous. Every day was 98, 99, 100°. There was no respite at night. The one good thing is that it seemed too hot for the mosquitoes, so we only had to deal with the oppressive humidity.
“You know, with all the Southerners having grown up in this neck of the woods, one would think that we would have all kinds of remedies to help ward off the heat,” I said.
“Heck, without air-conditioning, I wonder how many of us would even be in the South right now,” Todd replied. I reminded myself that being Floridian is not the same thing as being a Southerner, so I let it pass. “Do you think anybody has any tricks of the trade for dealing with this heat?”
There is a device in manufacturing called a swamp cooler. Without going into too much detail, I can tell you how to make a small version for yourself. You need a salad bowl, a lot of ice, and an oscillating fan. Put the ice in the bowl, and set the bowl in front of a fan. Turn the fan on. The fan will blow the melting ice and water into your face, offering a cooling respite from the heat. The more ice, the bigger the fan, the better the opportunity to get cool. I must caution you, though, not to use too big of a fan. Otherwise, your book will be ruined.
So I ask you, friends and neighbors, what are some of your tricks to help you keep cool during these dog days of summer?
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