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Auburn’s first game of the season was last Saturday, the last day of August.  Coincidentally, it was during one of the hottest days of the year.  It was also one of the few times I have taken three showers in one day.

Auburn was fortunate to have one of those “teaser” tastes of fall the previous week.  The high temperatures dropped to the mid to low 80’s and the humidity dropped significantly.  It was wonderful even though we knew it would not last, and it didn’t.

By the end of last week people were having to supplement their regular watering schedule if they had a sprinkler system.  Leaves on certain moisture sensitive trees began to turn yellow and then dropped to the ground.  Patches of grass turned brown.   Old timers call these the “Dog Days of Summer”.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the ancient Greeks and Romans believed the “dog days” to be a time of misfortune plagued by drought and unrest as animals and people alike were driven mad by the unbearably hot temperatures.  Seems about right.

Thankfully, Auburn’s football game against Alabama A&M was not scheduled to start until 6:30 pm.  That allowed all the fans plenty of time to enjoy their first tailgate of the year before the game.   Our tailgate is held at our house with friends joining us for food and fellowship.

Thankfully, we have a carport, garage, and tents, if necessary, to keep everyone in the shade.   This particular day found everyone making their way inside, where the air conditioning struggled to keep things comfortable.  The dozen or so electric fans outside were simply blowing hot air around and did nothing to prevent anyone from overheating.

Yet, in the middle of the day, with the temperatures soaring and the sun beating down on anyone outside, you could find all the kids out in the front yard, playing every game imaginable, oblivious to the heat.  Needless to say, this tailgate set a record for the most Gatorade consumed in one day.

Everyone made their way to the stadium to see the Eagle Flight around the stadium prior to kickoff.  Four helicopters flew over the stadium, perfectly timed with the last notes of “The Star Spangled Banner”.   It was finally time for football.

The game was a mismatch from the beginning, with Auburn scoring within 45 seconds.  The final score was 73-3, the greatest margin of victory in an opening game for Auburn since 1915.  These warmup type games are necessary, I suppose, but I do hate to see a team lose by such a margin.

There was plenty to cheer about, except that the temperature never seemed to drop.  Whatever breeze there was seemed to favor the other side of the field.  In the middle of the third quarter, the temperature was still 85 and the humidity was unbelievably high.  The result was a muggy mess.  No one in the stands complained when the quarters were shortened to 10 minutes each in the second half.

No complaints here as I have been waiting for football season all summer.  However, I will be glad that this next weekend will find cooler temperatures and lower humidity for our 2:30 pm start.  Otherwise, I hope the Tigers are still as hot as they were this past weekend.  War Eagle!