“Nature bestows her own, richest gifts And, with lavish hands, she works in shifts…”
This morning is one of those the house is colder than outside mornings. I went to my neighbors for our usual Monday language lesson wearing a sweatshirt. The day is so warm the sweatshirt came off and we sat outside in the sun. A wonderfully cooling breeze is blowing. It’s a pretty day.
I am still amazed by Cape Cod. In the warm days of late spring, the wild roses in whites and reds are everywhere. They grow on the edges of fields and woods and in front of old captains’ houses. I have one which has grown up the trunk of a tall tree. My wild rose bushes have no shape but grow willy nilly, wild and tall.
The cape has several old seafarers’ houses each marked with a plaque in front with a clipper ship and a date on it. Those captains’ houses are mostly half capes with sloping roofs. Their shingles are gray and weathered by years of wind and salt.
The early morning air sometimes smells of the ocean even this far away. On those mornings, I linger on the deck. When I cross the bridge over the river on a morning errand, I sometimes see fog spread across the water and quahoggers outlined in the mist.
The warmth of June has brought gardens filled with color. Short white picket fences stand behind them like sentinels. Some houses have carefully tended lawns while there are others with shards of shells in front mimicking a lawn. Pine needles spread across the front yards are lawn stand-ins especially at seasonal rentals. It seems we always have a breeze, mostly from the south. The nights are beautiful, bright and starlit. They perfectly complement the loveliness of the days. I always think how lucky I am to live here.
I remember spring when I was a kid and shedding my winter coat and riding on my bike to school, but it is always summer I remember the best in my hometown. The heat seemed to rise from the roads and the sidewalks. It rose in waves, and I swear I could see it though now I expect I saw a mirage. Summer days were never quiet. The insects made the most noise. Kids were always outside. The degree of heat dictated the amount of activity. Really hot days meant sitting under a tree in the only shade around. Cooler days meant bikes and roller skates and games of tag. My mother always kept a cold drink in her aluminum pitcher in the fridge. Dinner was light on those hot nights. We even could keep playing after dinner. Street lights were no longer alerts to go home. Late June and the coming of summer were celebrations when I was a kid.
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This entry was posted on June 8, 2015 at 12:41 pm and is filed under Musings. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.
Tags: heat, insects, mirages, noisy summer days, picket fences, pine needles, pitcher made of aluminum, playing after dinner
Both comments and pings are currently closed.8 Comments on ““Nature bestows her own, richest gifts And, with lavish hands, she works in shifts…””
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June 8, 2015 at 2:28 pm
We’ve had a wonderful day here today, not at all what they had predicted but I’m not surprised since I was working all day 🙂 🙂 I did wear a fleece jacket on our walk but it wasn’t necessary to be honest, even the constant wind was warm and nice today.
It rarely get that hot here, one week or perhaps two times during a warm summer, lately that seems to have changed though since we’ve had a heat wave the latest four summers now. But I grew up by the ocean so the breeze made it feel cooler than it perhaps was and my best friends summer cottage was placed perhaps 200 yards from the ocean so it was never that hot there either.
No one stayed indoors when it finally became summer warm though, even the older women who alöways were cold sat outside in a warm coat the warmest days 🙂 I hope I never feel that coild so I feel the need to wear warm coats during summer 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
June 8, 2015 at 6:06 pm
Christer,
I’m glad you finally had a nice day. It has been a long time for you. That wind does make a difference between a nice day and a cold day.
We do get some really hot days in August because the humidity gets so bad it seems insufferable. That’s when I’m happy for air conditioning.
I have a friend who is always cold. The rest of us are wearing short sleeves, and she has on a hood and is wrapped in a blanket. It’s sort of funny.
Have a great evening!
June 8, 2015 at 2:39 pm
More reminders that time is just flying by….
Yesterday (Sunday) was Prince Rogers Nelson’s 57th birthday. Just as well you didn’t play any of his songs as he’s notoriously diligent about protecting his recordings. I couldn’t even find anything on YouTube, so everyone just hum along to yourself… “She wore a Raspberry beret. The kind you find in a second hand store.”
Now I’m sure it’s just an oversight on your part, Kat, and you didn’t intentionally ignore the 37th birthday of of that mega-talented Kanye West. Poor thing doesn’t get enough publicity, but I know how much you must love his music. (Where’s the sarcasm key on this thing?)
Oh, Moondoggie… happy birthday to James Darren who somehow turns 78 today. I’d forgotten how many hits the guy actually had back in the day. Let’s say “Hau`oli Lā Hānau” by singing along with this tune from 1961: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKbqScppyRs
June 8, 2015 at 6:14 pm
im6,
It doesn’t matter what his name is. I haven’t ever been a Prince fan so I didn’t know he is so diligently about protecting his work. I don’t even know the tune enough to hum to myself.
Oh No! I missed Kanye West’s birthday. I’m not sure I can forgive myself (did you find that sarcasm key?).
Wow, James Darren is 78-that’s amazing to me. I knew Deborah Walley was also Gidget but in my head she is always Sandra Dee.
He did have a great look!
June 8, 2015 at 6:33 pm
Hi Kat,
Quahoggers in the Mist? I made an entire movie in my head around that phrase. 😉
I just saw Big Papi and Gronk in their Duncan Donut Duet. Um, yeah. I liked how they included the noise of a plastic straw being pulled up and down through the hole of the plastic iced coffee lid. Nice touch that.
I’m about 6 miles inland from the sea as the crow flies. If the wind is in the right direction and the tide is right, I can smell the sea tang of the ocean. It usually happens in early morning and it’s always pleasant when it does.
You are right about today. It’s cooler in the house than outside. I went out this morning in a sweatshirt but turned right around and went back to change into something lighter. The wind came up later on but it was not a cool wind.
Enjoy the day.
June 8, 2015 at 6:56 pm
Hi Caryn,
Was it a scary movie? I can see crazed quahoggers attacking with their rakes.
I haven’t seen that yet. I’ll have to keep an eye during Sox games as I think they are one of the sponsors.
That’s when it happens here as well. It is early and when the day is still damp with dew. I linger on the porch loving the smell.
I went to do an errand around 2:30 and it was still warmer outside than my house. My long sleeve shirt was more than enough. After that the breeze got stronger and the clouds appeared. It turned into not a nice day.
Have a great evening!
June 9, 2015 at 8:40 am
Not particularly scary, except for the red tide scene. There was a very touching scene where Sigourney Weaver’s character figures out how to communicate with the quahogs and one reaches out a pseudopod in greeting.
When you’re watching the Sox games, keep an eye out for the “amphibious” pitcher. I forget who he plays for but the Boston Globe says he is the first amphibious pitcher in 30 years. 😉
June 9, 2015 at 10:32 am
Caryn,
I saw that quote somewhere on Facebook, but I didn’t realize it was the Globe. I read the paper every day and must have missed it.
What a threat! Even underwater batters have no chance!