The Gates of Hell are slowly closing!

During my childhood, growing up near Lubbock in the Panhandle, the average summer day was over 100 during the day and over 80 at night. We had a swamp cooler instead of air conditioning.

For the uninformed (and lucky, I might add ), a swamp cooler is exactly what it sounds like. A box with compressed straw-fabric mats on 4 sides, a water pump inside and a big side-draft fan. The water pump sucks up water from the bottom pan of the box and circulates it up into the top of the pads, where it drizzles back down to the pan. The fan draws air from outside the box, through the water soaked pads where evaporative cooling drops the air temp down 15 to 20 degrees, depending on the air temp outside. That air is forced down into the air ducts that distribute it throughout the house.

Ours sat on the roof of the first floor of our 1 1/2 story farm house. I used to sneak out of my bedroom window on the second floor and sit next to the cooler to enjoy the rumbling sound of the motor and fan belt.

Heaven for me as a young lad was sitting under the vent in my room at night with the cool air flowing over me! Unfortunately, my Dad was a skin-flint and would turn off the fan when he went to bed downstairs, regardless of how hot it was upstairs. With the fan off, the temp upstairs would quickly become too hot to sleep. I still remember trying to sleep with sweat dripping off my back and waking up with the sheets soaking wet.

One of the few things that I've splurged on as an adult is keeping the house comfortable, regardless of the 'suggested temp' I heard on TV. I don't try to keep it 'cold', just comfortable. That's around 74 for us.

Now that I live further south, in Lewisville, it's a little easier to keep cool. One way to keep cool is to go out on my covered patio in the mornings. A fan keeps the air moving nicely. Except for a few weeks in August I can go out there with a glass of iced tea and write until around noon when the fan just isn't enough.

I'm looking forward to getting back out there to write and enjoy the peaceful ambiance. The bubbling sound of the little fountain. The colorful birds who like our birdbath. And of course I like casting dispersions at the stupid squirrels who love to hassle the birds. ;-)

Enjoy the last of the Summer, everyone.

Try one of my books in your favorite reading spot. There are links on the right. I recommend 'Invasion of the Aquanoids' for my SciFi friends and 'Etchings' if you want a spooky Halloween story!

Don't forget the iced tea!