Summer

With the days getting really nasty and hot ( I am not a fan of hot weather) I am sure thankful for all of the air conditioning that we have today--our homes--our cars and when we shop all of the stores are cool. Not so in the old days, as I have mentioned before, at bedtime we would get our quilt and go looking for whatever breeze may be blowing into the house and that was the spot that we put down our pallet. A few people that we knew had electric fans--(they lived in town)...guess that the country folks had to be tougher or crazier to survive the heat of the summer.
The stores in town had several ceiling fans but no air conditioners. Its funny how and what you remember--like the things I so vividly recall about the drug store--from the wonderful smell of the soda fountain to the sound that the ceiling fans made--a distinct swishing sound.
You traveled with every car window down when you went anywhere--most women would tie a headscarf over their hair to try and keep it half way presentable-- - it was all to no avail. When you stepped out of that furnace called a car your hair looked like Phillis Dillards--big sweat rings were somewhere on your clothing--the ladies make-up had melted and rolled to their stomach. In general you looked like something the dog's dragged in!!
The first car air conditioner I ever saw was a round oblong tube looking thing that you stuck into your car window--rolled the window up than placed ice inside of this "object". It had a little fan that in theory blew across the ice than into the car---ahhh to be rich enough to ride in such style would have been nice!
The old days and old ways are and will always be near and dear to my heart but when it is 100 degrees plus outside I don't hesitate to enjoy the modern way of life.
Remembering how hard the work days were for people back then--never mind the weather--hot or shivering cold they had their work to get done. All of the canning the women had to do was always in the heat of summer standing over the hot stoves. Life was tough but most never complained-it was all that they knew. It is no wonder that the life span was much shorter back in those days.