Columnists
Lazy hazy day
Ahh, the dog days of summer are here. In the summer days of my youth, I remember spending the early morning hours being outof- doors either biking or playing move-ups or hide ’n’ seek or pop-tag with my siblings and the kids in the neighbourhood. Around noon, the neighbourhood moms would call their brood in for lunch. After lunch, when the sun was high, the Durning kids usually spent the hottest afternoons in the cool of our basement. If Mom’s patience was intact, we’d be allowed to play board games or read. Of course, Mom expected us to be quiet in the afternoon which meant no arguing, fighting or rough-housing. Hmmmm. Halfway through the afternoon, the Durning kids would be called up to the side porch for a snack of homemade cookies, a piece of fruit and, if we were lucky, a glass of KoolAid. Then the begging would begin. We often pleaded with Mom to let us turn on the hose and run through the spray in the backyard. Water wasn’t cheap back then. Before the meter and municipal water, we were on an artesian well. Water was a precious commodity and only on the hottest days would we get a very short time turning the backyard into a mud puddle.
Summers, it seems, really haven’t changed much. Water is still a precious and expensive commodity. LOML and I don’t have an air-conditioned house, nor do we have a basement to chill in. Like the “good old days,” we still try to get things done in the cool of the morning and then we spend the afternoon avoiding the intense heat and sun. We both remember, as children, living in newly created postwar suburbs that didn’t have many shade trees. When we purchased this property, the first order of business was the planting of trees. In the hot afternoons we read or sit under the trees listening to the town noises. Playing board games isn’t as interesting with only two players as it once was with my seven noisy siblings and less fun because our board games have all the pieces. Still, August is a challenge. It’s a reminder that fall and winter are just around the corner, and pretty soon we’ll be wishing for hot, hazy and humid, again.
This long weekend our granddaughters visited with their parents, and one of them asked us what it was like when we were kids, in the summer. We both had to say we had a lot of fun, but it certainly wasn’t the good old days the way some remember it. We didn’t have a lot toys or games, not because our family was poor but because our parents remembered the depression and didn’t waste money on things like too many bikes or toys. The Durning household had two bikes. One for the girls and one for the boys, and we were expected to share with our friends who didn’t have one at all. We learned to schedule, barter and bargain amongst ourselves for the use of the bikes. Neither of the grand-girls have that kind of competition. They are singletons. Sharing is something they do when they’re at school or in daycare or at camp or they get the last of the cookies and Grandpa looks like he needs one. And, then? Well, and then I noticed the survival guidelines for the dog-days-of-summer haven’t really changed much since LOML and I were kids in the 1950s and ’60s.
You’ll do much better if you remember to stay hydrated. Water is best but KoolAid could make it feel a lot better. As far as I’m concerned, Popsicles are well-known in the medical world for their restorative and healing powers—orange-flavoured, in particular. Don’t be afraid of acting like a kid, which means avoid alcohol during the hottest times. Booze dehydrates a body, don’t ya know. And, if you can’t go jump in a lake or a river and just happen have a pool (even a paddling pool) or access to a pool (or a splash pad), cool off by taking a dip/paddle/splash now and then. What? No pool? Put the kitchen timer on and run through the hose for a few minutes. Forget about the neighbours who are tut-tutting through the curtains. Better still, wave them over to join the fun, and maybe a cookie and glass of KoolAid when the timer dings. In the hottest of hotness, ditch the fancy-schmancy and wear lightweight clothing. August is no time to worry about fashion. Let those thighs and arms out to catch a breeze. If you’ve got a basement or air-conditioning or lots of fans, luxuriate. And, because you’re a grown-up you need to know the signs of heatstroke and dehydration. Don’t forget to check on your friends, neighbours and family to make sure they’re taking it easy.
It’s summertime. Make the living easy. Remember, in a few months it’ll be shovelling and grousing about wintertime.
Comments (0)