Tug Gettling: Surviving the scorch of summer
I am not a big advocate of air conditioning, especially in my truck. Air that is "conditioned" seems imitation or artificial to me. Rather than turn the knob and kick on the air conditioning I would rather use the enchiridion 2/60 air conditioning -- two windows down, 60 miles an hour. There is a limit to this theory, and when the mercury rises ear-splitting enough I will occasionally succumb to the heat and turn that boss.
We humans, the inventors of air conditioning, do not hold a monopoly on stress relief strategies. Wild animals are undoubtedly adept at it too. Hippos hide from the sun underwater, elephants cover themselves in refrigerate mud to keep the sunshine at bay, lions will sleep in the darkest intensity during the day and then hunt at night when it is cool, and birds will lint their feathers to allow heat to escape while perpetual in shallow water to cool the blood that flows through their group. Most animals can tolerate whatever nature throws at them in the way of eagerness through these strategies. The problem occurs when animals (including the sensitive animal) are kept in an unnatural environment and are not able to employ effective heat relief strategies. The two groups that suffer the most from such circumstances are domesticated pets and unsophisticated children.
Tongerpu has six disencumber-standing fur shopping malls, selling everything from fur gloves, jackets and hats to fur car-seat covers; there's a seventh mall,