It looks like the temperatures have gotten very hot the last few days as we officially start summer. We have actually had some mild weather before this heat wave began.

I have always liked summer, especially when I was younger and more active. But now that I have gotten older, it is tougher to take the extreme heat and humidity.

Growing up in the Tug Valley area, it always seemed like we had very hot and humid summer weather. After school was out in May, it was always fun to have a long break.

Trying to stay cool back in the day was tough. Most of us did not have central air conditioning or even a window unit. We were lucky to have a couple of fans to circulate some airflow.

Of course, we always went barefoot during the summer months. I could not wait to get to feel the grass between my toes or the dirt on the bottom of my feet. We got to wear short pants and I hardly ever wore a shirt during those hot days of June, July and August. It was easy to get dressed in the morning after hopping out of bed.

Then of course there was getting the chance to swim. Nowadays, it seems like many people have their own swimming pools in their backyards, many with nice decks to lounge around in the sun and get a tan. Now you can get affordable pools to pop up in your lawn from the department stores about anywhere.

However I can remember what a treat it was to go to the Tug River and swim. My dad would take my sister Karen and me to the mouth of Big Creek. We would walk across the railroad bridge and down the road a bit on Route 292 in Martin County. There was a sandy area there and during the summer the water was pretty shallow, cool and refreshing. The sandy riverbank was like a little beach to us. There were no trips to Myrtle Beach or Florida for us during that era.

It was fun just to wade a creek in the cool, clear water and try to catch crawdads and splash around a little. We would do anything to stay cool and have fun at the same time.

As I got older and became a better swimmer, I swam at the old sand plant dam just over the bank from the old Nolan Grade School. The water was much deeper there, and it was considered dangerous by many. That was indeed a “swimmin’ hole” for many back in the 1960s and 1970s.

My mom did not want me swimming in the river so I had to sneak. But somehow she always figured it out. I guess she was concerned because a couple of people had drowned at Nolan while I was growing up.

One summer some guys from Big Creek tied a huge, thick sisal rope to a tree and made a swing that took you out over the flowing water. If you were brave enough, you could let go, hit the river and then swim back to the bank. But you had better be a good swimmer because it was swift in this area due to the old spillway of the dam.

If you were lucky enough to have a water hose you could spray each other to attempt to cool down and just to have some fun. But not many had an outdoor spigot or hose back in that era. Now it is common.

Once in a while we were lucky enough to get to go to the old pool at West Williamson. That was indeed a treat for us. I can recall how crowded it was and how much fun we had splashing and swimming in the pool.

I was lucky enough as I got older to work at the new Olympic-sized swimming pool at West End in Williamson. During that era it was the place to be. It was always so crowded on hot sunny days. I am sure many have great memories of hanging out at the pool there or any pool in the community that you lived in.

Music blared over the intercom system from the jukebox. As they say, it was so crowded you could not stir them with a stick.

Jumping off the diving board into the 12-foot-deep area of the pool was indeed fun and refreshing at the same time.

I am sure most every area had a pool that was the place to hang out and socialize. Nowadays, most public pools are not very crowded or are completely closed due to the lack of use over the last few years.

As the song goes, “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.”

Indeed it was back in the 1960s and 1970s. I am sure you have some great memories of trying to stay cool and having fun during those hot, humid days of summer.

Until next time – stay cool.

(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)