Mountain Musings from a Southern Appalachia writer: July 2026

This is Part 8 of a monthly feature on Jim Melvin’s Realms of Fantasy where I’ll be writing about the little things in life that amaze, amuse, irritate, and confuse me. Here are a few thoughts, photos, and videos from my life in a valley far from the vagaries of civilization.

People often imagine mountain living as a never-ending postcard. Cool breezes. Crisp mornings. Sweaters by the fireplace. Temperatures that never climb above 75 degrees.

Those people have clearly never spent a June afternoon in a mountain valley in Upstate South Carolina.

My wife Jeanne and I live at an elevation of about 1,100 feet. While that’s technically in the mountains, we’re really more in a valley surrounded by mountains. The higher peaks enjoy cooler temperatures than we do. Here in the valley, summer still arrives with authority.

Most years we see stretches of weather in the low 90s. Every now and then the thermometer flirts with 100 degrees. When that happens, daily life becomes a matter of adaptation.

Fortunately, we’ve had a few years to practice.

The good news is that summer days here tend to follow a predictable pattern. Mornings are often pleasant, with temperatures in the 70s and enough coolness in the air to make outdoor activities enjoyable. Around noon, however, the heat settles in. By midafternoon, it’s usually hot enough to discourage all but the most determined hikers. Things begin to improve around 5 p.m., and evenings are often comfortable enough to enjoy sitting outside.

This creates a dilemma for me.

I know perfectly well that I should hike first thing in the morning before the heat arrives.

Unfortunately, I am also a coffee lover.

Every summer I promise myself that I’ll get outside early and save the coffee for afterward. Every summer the coffee wins.

One thing I’ve learned is that not all parts of a mountain trail are created equal. We have a mile-long trail that loops around our property, much of it following a creek that borders the land. On hot days there are certain sections near the water (see video) that feel noticeably cooler than the rest of the trail.

The actual temperature difference might only be five degrees, but when it’s already hot outside, five degrees feels like a gift from the weather gods. I often find myself lingering in those shady pockets, enjoying every bit of cool air I can find.

Our cat Cleo has approached the problem with far more intelligence than her humans.

During the hottest part of the summer, she spends much of the day sleeping. Then she becomes active in the evening and often stays out most of the night. While Jeanne and I are debating whether it’s too hot to hike, Cleo has already solved the issue and adjusted her schedule accordingly.

When outdoor exercise becomes uncomfortable, we move indoors.

Both of us are in our late 60s, and we make a point of exercising almost every day. During the summer months, that often means turning to online exercise videos designed for seniors.

That may sound a little tame, but some of these workouts provide surprisingly good exercise, including stretching, balance work, and upper-body routines.

Over the years we’ve developed some favorites and have probably completed each of them more than a hundred times.

At that point, you stop following the videos and start performing them from memory.

In one workout, the instructor suddenly lets out a loud “WOO!” Naturally, Jeanne and I WOO right along with her.

In another, the instructor briefly loses her place and makes a hilariously strange facial expression. If we’re distracted and miss that moment, we have been known to rewind the video just to watch it again.

Our third favorite is led by a woman with a strong Australian accent. At the end of every workout she starts dancing around with infectious enthusiasm.

Naturally, we dance right along with her.

When I do venture outside during the hottest days, I come prepared.

Over the years I’ve assembled what can only be described as an extreme cooling system. I have a hat with built-in fans that blow air across my face. I have a neck fan. I have an ice vest that holds six separate ice packs. I even wear a mosquito net to keep gnats away from my face while hiking or mowing.

By the time I put everything on, I look less like a novelist and more like a lunatic who can’t wait for Halloween.

Despite the heat, summer remains one of the most beautiful times of the year in our valley.

The leaves are deep green. Flowers bloom everywhere. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds move constantly through the landscape. This time of year also brings an abundance of wildlife. Nearly every day we see deer, possums, armadillos, and an ever-changing collection of birds.

One of our favorite summer attractions is a bluebird family nesting in a bluebird house in our backyard. Watching the parents come and go throughout the day has provided hours of entertainment.

We also enjoy visits from hawks, vultures, woodpeckers, dozens of songbirds, and even the occasional blue heron.

Summer also brings a lot of rain.

A gentle rain passing through the valley can drop the temperature by ten or fifteen degrees in a matter of minutes. The rain nourishes the trees, flowers, and landscaping around our home, and sitting on the back deck listening to rainfall is one of life’s simple pleasures. And the rainbows afterward can be spectacular.

Jeanne and I are the type of people who delay turning on the air conditioner for as long as possible. This year we made it until June 15 before finally surrendering. We usually shut it off again sometime in September, and by October the weather is glorious once more.

On cooler evenings, I often sit on the back deck with both a ceiling fan and a large floor fan pointed directly at me. Meanwhile, Jeanne sits a few feet away wearing a sweater.

Even after 30-plus years of marriage, some mysteries remain unsolved.

And then there are the truly special days.

Because we live in a mountain valley, every so often summer surprises us. We’ll wake up to temperatures in the high 50s, spend the day under a sky that never climbs above the low 70s, and wonder if Mother Nature accidentally skipped ahead to October.

Those days are rare, but they remind us why we moved here in the first place.

Mountain living doesn’t provide perfect weather. What it provides is variety. One day I’m wearing an ice vest, two fans, and a mosquito net just to survive a hike. The next day I’m sitting comfortably on the deck enjoying a cool breeze while looking out at some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable.

For us, that’s a trade-off worth making.