I'm a gutless wonder.

If I had any guts, I’d be outdoors now. In the tropical heat. Temperature in the mid-90s. And the dew point at 70. Instead, I’m indoors. With the air-conditioner turned on. To a comfortable 67 degrees. The early settlers didn’t have air-conditioning. They had to put up with the climactic conditions. No matter what. Of course, in Minnesota, heat waves generally don’t last for more than a few days. We’ll get a relatively cool air blast from Canada. Maybe all the way from Hudson Bay. I find it hard to fathom the life of the early pioneers in places such as Arizona. Where it could easily hit 118 degrees. And that was long before air-conditioning. Must have been like living in hell. But then, there was a trade-off. Pleasant temperatures in the wintertime. While we folks in Minnesota endure 30 degrees below zero and blinding blizzards. Anyway, I’m prepared to venture out into the heat. Only a little bit later in the day. Knowing that eventually I can retreat again to air-conditioned comfort. Or wait for a thunderstorm that brings welcome relief. –Jim Broede