Why did I choose to try to mow my lawn on such a hot day? I guess only for the reason to please the eyes of my neighbors. Mid afternoon and the sun feels inches away and I’m feeling sunny-side up. I notice that children never seem to sweat and find the most interesting ways to stay cool. It is equally true in winter time when I see they never seem to get cold even after hours of playing in the snow. I sat barefoot sprawled out on my porch steps with a nice fresh cup of hot coffee and I watched them. I find it amusing to see them drench each other with plastic pop bottles filled with water. Their version of the “Super-Soaker”. Who claimed lemonade on a hot humid day cures one’s thirst? Coffee still tastes better. Sitting in the hot haze it took me a while to realize that passer-bys must have been staring at my coffee cup and not the spots I missed on my lawn. “So?”, I exclaimed to myself, “I’m content”. Faintly in the distance I can hear the Mr. Frosty truck cruising around playing it’s ‘Music Box Dancer’ tune, over and over and over again! Not only can the heat make a body feel like it weighs a ton but also makes the mind feel crazy enough without such music. No doubt if Mr. Frosty’s truck rolled up to my curbside I wouldn’t have the energy to run up to its window to get myself a 25 cent freezie pop! But the kids in their cool wet suits could chase it a block down the road. Why can’t the Mr. Frosty truck play “Purple Haze” or something? In this heat the kids wouldn’t really care. As I adjust my shades to check the sun’s position to guess the time I could hear the truck getting louder and louder. It began to remind me of some crazy horror movie music with a vision of comparing it to an evil clown. And there it was at the corner. Bright blinding white with fluffy ice cream cones painted on its side and blasting its manic music. And the only thing that came out of my mouth that whole hot summer’s day was: “Hey, kid, I’ll give you a buck if you get me a Freezie Pop!” DESERT DRAGONS I complained all winter That my toes were always cold And my scarf wrapped ‘round a dozen times I couldn’t breath through my nose Global Warming there can’t possibly be! Look at the drift of snow that towers above me.......... Sitting on the steps I can hardly hold my head up The heat in this city is mean When you can see yourself melting in the sun And letting off some steam Then oops! I had a dream ........ Toiling through the desert A wind no where to be heard My Squire and I were heading to A place that seemed absurd We were told that dragons were dwelling In some caverns in the south My Squire said it was told From Master Gruben’s mouth For you know it’s well known to all That my Squire and I do try To catch a theiven dragon In their lair where they ly You see Master Gruben told my Squire That a dragon likes to be Somewhere it’s very hot Or flying over the sea So on we journeyed slowly In the southern dry cruel heat Stepping ever so lightly To protect our dainty feet Then before the sun went setting Stretched out under the skies Was a cool refreshing crystal white Delighting our reddened eyes Praying it was not a mirage And would drench us to the bone “To hell with dragons!” I cried as we ran Let's get a big frosty cone! (Any one else feeling the heat?)