View from the Cab: Beating the heat

By Kent Casson

How do you beat the heat during summer?

That has been a nearly impossible chore during the past week or more as temperatures have soared here in Central Illinois. We typically see June heat but not quite this much. Hard to imagine a year ago we were almost shivering with morning lows in the upper 40s and low 50s thanks to a haze in the air which kept us unusually dry and cool.

As of this writing, the crops could sure use a drink. And so could I.

We did several projects outdoors last week but tried to avoid the heat of the day for this. I should have trimmed my bushes the prior week but time got away from me, I guess. The calves enjoyed being washed off with the hose as a way to stay cool during the extreme heat and the kids enjoyed playing in the water too.

Kids seem invincible when it comes to summer heat. Their faces can be really red with sweat pouring down but they still play their hearts out. I break a sweat after about five minutes out in the Central Illinois humidity.

I like to stay cool by enjoying fresh fruit during summer like watermelon and peaches. Rebecca cuts the peaches up into small pieces and sprinkles sugar on top. Now, that’s the ultimate summertime treat! Biting into the rich peach flavor reminds me of summers past. You can’t beat a big slice of cold watermelon either. Since watermelon includes such a high concentration of water, it’s the perfect way to stay hydrated.

Our family especially enjoys a cold treat each evening from the freezer. You can probably guess it’s a big bowl of ice cream. Coming from a dairy family, my wife has always been a dairy proponent so we carry on the snack tradition with our kids. There is no better time to enjoy various products in addition to ice cream like cottage cheese, yogurt or a nice cold glass of milk since June is Dairy Month.

Our youngest really enjoys icicles straight out of the freezer, also known as “Freezer Pops.” She could eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner and any time in between. In fact, she probably feels these should have their own food group. She also tends to lay in front of the air vent in the living room at home to enjoy the air conditioning.

I hope you have been finding ways to stay cool and perhaps some weather relief is in sight for the upcoming Independence Day holiday period.

Crop condition ratings actually deteriorated for corn and soybeans in Illinois in recent days due to the heat and dryness. Some of the earlier planted corn will be entering that key pollination period before we know it.