How Did You Stay Cool in the Summer

Another question for your life story:

How did you stay cool in the summer?

When I was young we did not have air conditioning or a swamp cooler.  There may have been two or three weeks when it was hot and uncomfortable.  We never locked our doors, so we left the front door open with just the screen door shut.  A cool breeze went through the house from my bedroom window to the front door.  It made it more tolerable during those hot days.  The afternoon was the hottest and that was when we went down in our basement where it was cool.  

As an adult we used a portable swamp cooler that had to be hand filled with water.  There were a lot of trees surrounding the house which helped to keep it cooler.  Again windows provided cross ventilation especially when a cool breeze was blowing.  

Some people like to go swimming when it's hot.  I don't swim, but I have used a wet cloth to pat on me to cool down with.  I have hung a wet towel in front of a fan or put ice in front of a fan to cool down when the swamp cooler isn't working.  Ice cream and cold drinks are nice when it's hot.  

What have you done to stay cool?  Were the summers hot where you lived or were they moderate?  Did you go swimming or run through the sprinklers when it got hot?  Did you have a basement to stay in when it got hot?  Did you have a favorite foot that you enjoyed when it got hot?  Did you go camping in the mountains when it got hot?  How do you remember cooling down in the summer?  Write those memories as part of your life story.