Thursday, July 21, 2011

It’s Summer

No school buses to dodge on the way to work … No school news on the radio … Waking up in blinding sunlight even before 6 AM … Sound of fresh, full green leaves in the wind at the window … Cats are perky. Finally.

We hunt for fresh, local tomatoes and home made cheeses and pepper jellies at the Farmers’ Market, every chance we get. We go to “music in the park”. Parade of homes just happened.

We bought a grill and used it. Meat tastes different cooked in the heat. You absorb it through your pores, too, not just your taste buds. The smell of fresh peppers on a flame – like no other.

We got sunburned. We talk about camping and fireworks. We plan the next ball game – soon. Snow is still on the peaks. Still. We plan for street festivals. We ride the motorcycle. Finally.

We eat fresh strawberries and blueberries out of the yard. We watch our roses bloom, again and again. We have a garden! We put down mulch. We mow. We water every night. We’re waiting, patiently, for our first tomato harvest. It’s all about tomatoes, all of a sudden.

Neighbor’s kids are running through sprinklers screaming like it’s their last day on earth. Parents are happy to see them out of the house, and don’t care. Dogs are lazy.

We get the gnawing feeling that all this is but a dream or a blink in time ...

The a/c running in overdrive. Gas bill goes down. We drive to the ice cream parlor in the middle of the week, just because … it’s hot.

Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.” ~ Russel Baker

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