How to Withstand 110 degree Weather

It is one thing to go out to the beach and lie in the sun with your sunscreen and drink and read a novel and just enjoy, well, until it gets pretty darn hot. It is quite another, I realize now as a grown man, how much of feat I had accomplished as a twelve year old working the cotton fields in 110 degree weather,many times hotter for days on end. The job is an hourly job requiring huge stamina, proper attire and the determination to make the day walking mile long rows with a hoe, chopping weeds every step of the way. We usually went as a family, "a family that works together, stays together", pretty much was our adage. Plus, it helped put food on the table and helped pay for our school clothes: school supplies, pants, shirts, socks, shoes,everything. Dad had a good paying job at the railroad; however, there just wasn't enough money to go around when you have seven kids in a family. It built stamina, an appreciation for the value of the dollar and huge amounts of character. The truck would pick us up at 3:00 a.m., that meant you had to go to bed at 7:00 p.m., have your lunch and gear ready and take off when they honked outside for you. You arrived at the field at 5:00 a.m. and worked until noon when you ate your baloney sandwich and drank a cold Pepsi. What a feast! Little did I know that things could get better than those times: at the time it was the epitome of luxury to sit under the shade of the truck, no shade anywhere else, and eat in complete repose. You go back out to your assigned mile long row and continue to eradicate, chop down with your sharpened hoe, and go to your next mile long row. You would have to sharpen your hoe with a file you or your leader carried to prevent any slowdowns.A dull hoe is a huge no-no. Occasionally you would use that very hoe to chop the head off a rattlesnake that threatened you life. Grasshoppers would fly up your shirt and you would do a funny dance in the sun, shaking your body all over to get rid of it off your back. You made friends walking. You talked about everything including going back to school, your hopes and dreams. It was a perfect vacation for me to contemplate school: a nice roof over my head, wonderful things to learn, a neat teacher and classmates who liked me. Except I would have to work weekends, holidays and all summer non-stop. I look back and realize that it was all worth it. As a native N.Mex. born Hispanic I brushed up on my Spanish working with Latinos, admired their grit and the stamina to work under huge adverse conditions. All in all to withstand that heat you needed to wear proper clothing and shoes that could take the heat, drink plenty of water, drink a Pepsi at noon, try not to chew too much on ice because that will cause a sore throat, keep your spirits high, and keep talking, chopping and walking. Before you know it you have made the day and you will be ready for the next. A real treat is waiting for clouds and rain to come overhead to cool you off.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• A good light straw hat
• Good walking shoes, tennis shoes will melt, need good soles
• Layered clothing with long sleeves, good denim pants, a scarf for your neck
• A sharpened hoe
• A positive outlook

How to Withstand 110 degree weather

1. Prepare your gear the night before. Go to bed at 7:00 p.m. because you have to get up at 3:00 a.m. in order to get to the field at 5:00 a.m.
2. Pay attention to your group leader, usually the truck driver who got you there. This person knows the field and what elements to look for that can get tricky such as snakes, tough weeds, and what to do in case of emergencies.
3. Start walking and chopping any weed that you see around the cotton. If the weeds get high they will stunt the growth of the cotton. Pay attention to where you place your feet, sometimes the rows are muddy and snakes can hide there. Find a partner to walk with so that you can watch out for each other. Hydrate but do not over chew on ice. Occasionally water down your shirt and hat to keep your head cool.
4. You will have walked several mile long rows today and chopped down a considerable amount of weeds. Looking back at the field and the rows there will be a lovely, clear, no weeds aspect to it all. When you get home you can count the dollars you will have made as a family. Shower down and after sit around dinner table and recount the day and go to an early movie, relax and get ready for the next day.

Tips & Warnings

• Layered clothing, long sleeve shirts, shoes with good soles that do not melt, like tennis shoes, a good light straw hat.
• Hydrate but do not overdo, you either get waterlogged or you succumb to sore throat, especially if you chew on too much ice.
• Go to bed early to maintain good health and good stamina for the next day.
• Take each day at a time. Remain positive and continue to dream and hope. You have a job to do and you will do it well, as all the jobs you will have from here on.
• I realize not everyone can take on that much heat at once, so take it slow, find what works for you as you have to survive the day.