Its the time of the season
"It's the time of the season for loving." That was the beautifully harmonized refrain from a 1960's hit by the Zombies. See: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfwFpRnOeGg&feature=related . In this photo, I am playing on Leslie Anne's carpet before snuggling up on her "comfy couch."
It is late summer on the Texas Gulf Coast, a time of blazing heat and torrential rain. The juicy peaches from several parts of Texas are gone along with our canteloupes, plums, and sweet corn, but I can still get them from other parts of the country. Fresh squash, okra, tomatoes, and watermelons are still available locally. All of these are symbols of summer, especially in June when they are just starting to arrive. Growing up I took fresh fruit and veggies for granted because our nation grows just about everything and ships them by rail and truck all across our land.
Looking back 50 years, I remember how special it was in June when school was out for the summer, swimming pools were open, and my grandparents would take us to visit kinfolks in Central Texas. Besides Texas produce sold at the outdoor fruit stands along the roads, my grandparents, aunts, and uncles grew their own tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, okra, corn, peaches, plums, and cantaloupes. Seeing the rolling hills of Texas and my kinfolks after spending a nine month schoolyear in flat Houston was always a treat. If our visit included the Fourth of July, there would also be fireworks, a military parade from nearby Fort Hood, a big outdoor rodeo featuring local cowboys and cowgirls, plus swimming in the creeks, watermelon, and fresh homemade peach ice cream to cool down after 100 degree days. Twenty years later, Fort Hood was one of the places I spent blazing summers maneuvering my tank and firing my cannon day and night. Before it was banned, we had beer out on the firing ranges after we completed our tank crew qualification runs.
The angle of the sun at a certain time of the day and season of the year can bring back memories. This is the time of the year when most of the summer's adventures would soon be over. Not the heat: besides the remainder of August, September is mostly a hot month, and so can October. The stores are already full of school supplies and back-to-school clothing. School no longer has any bearing on my life, although with the fall fashions arriving, summer clothes are on sale. If only I could afford them! Oh well, I'll still be swimming, sunning myself, and wearing skimpy summer clothes for another two months.
Another sign of the season: green chiles from Hatch, New Mexico! Two weeks ago I used the last of the 2011 green chiles in a pot of frijoles, and a few days ago, I fixed a pot of chicken soup with some 2012 green chiles. It is a very good year (like last year) for green chiles!
Its the time of the season
"It's the time of the season for loving." That was the beautifully harmonized refrain from a 1960's hit by the Zombies. See: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfwFpRnOeGg&feature=related . In this photo, I am playing on Leslie Anne's carpet before snuggling up on her "comfy couch."
It is late summer on the Texas Gulf Coast, a time of blazing heat and torrential rain. The juicy peaches from several parts of Texas are gone along with our canteloupes, plums, and sweet corn, but I can still get them from other parts of the country. Fresh squash, okra, tomatoes, and watermelons are still available locally. All of these are symbols of summer, especially in June when they are just starting to arrive. Growing up I took fresh fruit and veggies for granted because our nation grows just about everything and ships them by rail and truck all across our land.
Looking back 50 years, I remember how special it was in June when school was out for the summer, swimming pools were open, and my grandparents would take us to visit kinfolks in Central Texas. Besides Texas produce sold at the outdoor fruit stands along the roads, my grandparents, aunts, and uncles grew their own tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, okra, corn, peaches, plums, and cantaloupes. Seeing the rolling hills of Texas and my kinfolks after spending a nine month schoolyear in flat Houston was always a treat. If our visit included the Fourth of July, there would also be fireworks, a military parade from nearby Fort Hood, a big outdoor rodeo featuring local cowboys and cowgirls, plus swimming in the creeks, watermelon, and fresh homemade peach ice cream to cool down after 100 degree days. Twenty years later, Fort Hood was one of the places I spent blazing summers maneuvering my tank and firing my cannon day and night. Before it was banned, we had beer out on the firing ranges after we completed our tank crew qualification runs.
The angle of the sun at a certain time of the day and season of the year can bring back memories. This is the time of the year when most of the summer's adventures would soon be over. Not the heat: besides the remainder of August, September is mostly a hot month, and so can October. The stores are already full of school supplies and back-to-school clothing. School no longer has any bearing on my life, although with the fall fashions arriving, summer clothes are on sale. If only I could afford them! Oh well, I'll still be swimming, sunning myself, and wearing skimpy summer clothes for another two months.
Another sign of the season: green chiles from Hatch, New Mexico! Two weeks ago I used the last of the 2011 green chiles in a pot of frijoles, and a few days ago, I fixed a pot of chicken soup with some 2012 green chiles. It is a very good year (like last year) for green chiles!