Someone Thinks the Weather is Hot

July has almost always been hot in Missouri. I grew up before we had electricity, so I guess we didn't know any better. We did open all the windows and doors to let the night breezes blow through the house, and when that didn't work, we moved out in the yard to sleep.

There was no light, so we did get to know the stars that way. 

The heat created dry conditions so we had to drive the cattle to the river each day so they could have water. In the 1930s, our field roads were all dirt, which was carved into dust by the iron-wheeled wagons and with bare feet. We soon learned that walking too long in that was not a good idea.

In 1954, my family was driving back from a trip to the East and stopped in Ohio for gas. In conversation, we were told that it was hot back here, so we drove through the night and the next day. I went out to begin plowing when the temperature was suddenly 112 degrees. The steering wheel of the tractor became so hot that I could not grip it, so I decided it would be better in the house. That was the hottest day of my life here in Eureka.

I remember attending the 1966 All Star Game in St. Louis in the then new stadium, where hundreds of spectators became overheated and were laid out in the cooler passageways of the stadium. Luckily my seat was in the left field stands and under the shade of other seats, so we had a breeze to make it OK.

During the game, Casey Sengal, legendary manger of the Yankees was asked how he liked the new stadium and he gave the famous answer:  "Well, it holds the heat well."

Remember August is only three weeks away.