During my years as a Yankee, I frequently had to rid car windows of frozen condensation. That’s what happens in fall, winter, spring. You go out to hop into your car but…uh-oh…not for a least ten minutes. Gotta scrape, turn on the defrosters, wipe and scrape inside, too.

This morning, out with the Chihuahuas, I realized that condensation removal is also a feature of life in the south. The difference is that here we do it because of heat + humidity.

Several of my neighbors work on the docks…longshoremen. They leave home about 5:30 A.M. Each of them has his own way to get rid of fogged-up windows.

One guy uses a squeegee. Another has a supply of little towels. A third keeps a hose hooked up right by where the family parks its cars.

I watched Mr. Hose do his thing. Quickly, he rained on all areas of window fog, dropped the hose, and was gone. Meanwhile Mr. Towel carefully wiped and wiped. Mr. Squeegee had already left by the time I hit the sidewalk, so I have no idea how speedily he eliminates condensation.

During our walk I observed a lady get into her car. She fired it up, then climbed out and began to wipe with a Kleenex…which wasn’t doing much good.

Do I ever have this problem? Not often. For a while I mediated at Chesapeake General District Court on Fridays. That got me out and about before the sun was up. However, when I finally understood that I have no desire to listen to people argue/whine/fuss/accuse, when I quit mediating, that was the end of my get-up-early days.

Nowadays, by the time I get into my car, the fog is gone but seats and steering wheel are hot. Into each life…