Hotter Than Hell In July

Growing up in rural Michigan in the 60’s, when life was easier and amenities were simple, parks and recreation areas were more of a pleasure than they are today. The summer could be hot and sweltering and, believe me the humidity and the barometric pressure weighed a lot heavier on people than Florida during hurricane season.

Mosquitoes swarmed in the multitudes, attracted by human sweat with the sweet reward of blood beneath a soft layer of flesh; they had their own straws. It wasn’t much of a triumph when you might catch one of those critters before they took flight and squish their bodies to lighten the load and end their lives. And yet, you still itch and scratch for hours, if not for a couple days.

Once school let out in early June, the Great Lakes State had plenty of smaller bodies of cool, fresh water to ease what otherwise might be a less than eventful day. The first big holiday where everyone had the day off was July 4th – this goes back to the days when stores would open as the late-morning church services were coming to an “Amen”.

It wasn’t a short ride from home, but you had to go through Hell to get to Silver Lake. The State Park was vast and well kept with some of the first trails I walked along with my childhood friend, Chucky. It was a favorite spot for the general area of central Lower Peninsula. It was s feast of chicken and burgers and homemade goodies such as baked beans, potato and macaroni salads. Of course, there were also chips, pop and a variety of desserts.

To accommodate the necessary picnic tables and grills for a group of a couple dozen of friends, there would have to be one or two early-birds in your party willing to wake well before sunrise to park their vehicles for a couple hours before the parking lot was open. As they waited, they would walk to lay claim to a chosen area that might offer some shade as the day progressively heated.

With five kids and the chores of a farm to attend to, our family arrived shortly after sunrise with Dad at the wheel, inching slowly to a parking spot of his own.

The rest of the day was mixed with eating, swimming (“You have to wait an hour before you can go back in the water!”), sunbathing and, for the adults, imbibing when it was still allowed. By the end of the day, sunburn was a memory that would last for nearly a week as the discomfort and redness eventually faded and the skin peeled. Suntan lotion hadn’t yet been given SPF values.

Just after dusk the celebration of the anniversary of the birth of these United States of America filled the sky with fireworks. As a kid, you swore that no other display was as grand as the one you were witnessing.

Hell, Michigan, was the gateway to that first holiday of the summer. Really, there was no finer day of the year. Sure, Christmas Day had its place high among other holidays but that day in early July laid the groundwork of memories for the summer vacation from school.

Of course, Silver Lake itself was just as hot as Hell in the summertime but there other locations around the world that better mirrors the fire and brimstone of the truly damned. Take for instance the daily newspaper and the page that gives global weather/temperature data. Check it out - the hottest place on Earth is in the hell hole where our troops are - Baghdad.