A look back at the dog days of summer

By Marideth Sisco

Published August 1, 2025 at 7:45 AM CDT

In this episode of These Ozarks Hills, Marideth reflects on the hot summer days in a rural Ozarks town.

In the early 1950s, residents of Butterfield, Missouri, would gather at Goldie's Cafe to try to beat the heat of the dog days of summer. The ice locker outside and the cooling fan were the heroes of late summer, while the town's boys schemed up games of rousting sleeping dogs out from under parked vehicles.

These Ozarks Hills

Marideth Sisco

Marideth is a Missouri storyteller, veteran journalist, teacher, author, musician and student of folklore focusing on stories relevant to Ozarks culture and history. Each month, she’s the voice behind "These Ozarks Hills.” Sisco spent 20 years as an investigative and environmental writer for the West Plains Quill and was well known for her gardening column, “Crosspatch,” on which her new book is based. Sisco was a music consultant and featured singer in the 2010 award-winning feature film “Winter's Bone.”

See stories by Marideth Sisco