I don’t know how it’s been where you’re located this summer, but in Texas, even in northeast Texas (that’s the wet, green part), it’s been dry and hot. No, it’s not been a hot summer, it’s been a good old fashioned scorcher! By the time you read this “Trenches” it should mostly be over, but it’s early August as I’m writing and today the temperature was 109.

 

Yesterday, the high temperature was 110 degrees, and my son, Slade, documented this milestone by snapping a photo of our digital sign out in front of the sign shop. But, this too must pass, as a cool front in moving in tomorrow. The high will only be 105 or so. Thank goodness!

 

Of course, I don’t believe in letting the weather get the best of you, or giving in in any way. So I’ve kept up the normal variety of my sign work this season including installing letters on metal buildings and digging post holes in ground as hard as pavement. But, I intend to stay alive and I have begun to bring a friend or two with me on every outdoor job, that is a good fan, and if needed, a small generator to run it. It is amazing how much a breeze helps, even if you have to create it yourself. I sweat a lot, but drink even more, Gatorade to the rescue!

 

The excessive heat brought in one of our local homeless residents, who, though uninvited, made himself comfortable in the air conditioned break room of our powder coating shop across the street. Kory, our faithful helper, stepped in the room the other day without flicking on the light, and stepped on him curled up by the refrigerator, then screamed like a girl and ran off. 

 

He called me on the phone in a panic while I was just driving up and I rushed the room, machete in hand, but the visitor had disappeared. A few days later, Sloan entered the bathroom one wall over and found the trespasser curled up under the urinal trying to escape the heat. Reggie, the rat snake, was escorted from the building, a building that must be kept open most of the time so he will likely be back. And who could blame him?

 

The real rescue, of course, is coming. Just today a friend said he had noticed something strange recently. He said he has been pitching pecans out to the squirrels in his yard, and they have quit eating them. Now, when they pick up a nut, they quickly run and bury it. Over and over they fail to eat his gift, but merely stash it away for a rainy day, no, a freezing cold winter day. So, look out, this record breaking summer could give way to a winter that does the same.

 

But right now, a cold winter sounds pretty good, as I can hardly remember what that felt like six or eight months ago. The photos tell the story well enough. But for now, I’ve got my hat, my fan, my generator, a cooler full of Gatorade and plenty of work to do. So I’m not complaining, I’m doing sign work, some of the best work in the world.

 

I hope your shop is cool, your sales are hot, and the upcoming winter is a good one for both of us. 

 

Have a great month—Rick