Summer in the South is different than summer in the North. It is more than just temperatures. In a certain respect it is more like winter in the North.
Just as cold, snow, and ice control life in the North during the winter. Heat, humidity, and thunderstorms control life in the South during the summer. We end up making decisions as to what we are going to do based on the weather.
As much as I hate to admit it, the weather can be too hot to go fishing or even to the beach here along the North Carolina coast. Summer in the South on the coast can alter how you live your life.
While the heat can cause some changes in how you do certain things, it generally causes fewer changes here along the coast than it does inland. We often do not get as hot as inland areas. Also we are wired a little differently here on the Crystal Coast.
Many of us think that life is a little simpler here on the coast so it is easier to make adjustments for the weather.
Heat has some benefits. We get our spring vegetables and fruits a little earlier. Of course our vegetable stands close a lot earlier than those in the mountains.
This evening we went for a ride on the river. You could actually feel the heat radiating from the water in the shallow areas. The temperature registered 89F in the Bluewater Cove inlet which is under two feet deep except in the channel where it is three or four feet. Even the breeze off of the water was warmer than normal.
Life goes on here during the heat. Carpenters start the day early and often end by 3 PM. Most of us try to mow our yards early in the morning. Today our concrete driveway was so hot by noon that I had to water it as I walked on it while watering some plants.
A lot of fishing trips start at 6 AM and are done before 9 PM. Still I would not trade our summer heat for Canadian cold. I enjoy the heat and especially the warm ocean waters.
I know from experience that boating on waters where the temperatures are in the forties is a very cold way to spend your time. I would much rather fish in waters in the mid-eighties than water in the mid-forties.
And when the heat during the day gets too much, we retire to our air conditioned homes and await cooler times. Those who work outside every day rarely let the heat bother them.
When the heat during the day starts to slide away into fall, we get to enjoy another season. Only this time our waters act as a warming agent instead of a cooling one.
With those thoughts in mind, I will continue to welcome the heat of the day.
