“Among the changing months, May stands confest the sweetest, and in fairest colors dressed.”
Pulchritude is the word of the day. Outside is stunning. The blue is a deep color. I can’t see even a single cloud. Every now and then a branch moves. The sun is bright, this time of year bright, sort of for looks, not utility. I was out on the deck earlier, a couple of times, to chase the spawns of Satan away from one of the feeders. I tiptoed and hid so he couldn’t see me. I jumped out and he leapt to a tree trunk, turned around and chattered at me, his tail shaking the whole time. He was pretty angry. The tip toeing gave me a laugh later. How silly.
I hope I can explain well why this is one of those mornings which feels like Ghana to me. That memory is triggered on chilly mornings like today’s. They remind me of mornings in Bolga in December during the harmattan. Here, the morning feels chilly, but you know it will get warmer. You can sense it in the air. In Bolga the mornings have a chill left over from the cold night, and you relish the feeling of being cold because you know it will get hot, really hot by afternoon, 3 digits hot.
I’ve jumped ahead a bit to those languid afternoons in Ghana which have nothing to do with the paragraph above. The memories jumped in, prompted I think by talk of hot afternoons. I’d be in my living sitting on one of the red cushioned chairs, my only real decor, probably reading or preparing lessons. If I got up, my outline was on the chair cushions in sweat. It was a hot time of year. The afternoons were sometimes really quiet. The students had a forced time to be in their dorms in the late afternoon. I know I heard insects, but I never saw them. They almost sounded like crickets. Sometimes I’d nap despite the heat. Other times I went to town to shop. I loved going to town. I loved shopping in the market with all its colors and sounds. I could hear the women chatting among themselves, mostly in FraFra but many knew Hausa so I could greet them, and they were delighted I knew their language, even if only a few words. The women wore cloth made in Ghana. It was colorful and filled with designs. Many women wore three pieces: a top, bottom and a sling for the babies on their backs.
It is strange how some memories jump out prompted by something else. I went from the chilly mornings to red cushions and lazy afternoons and finally to the market. When I’ve gone back to Bolga, I always shop in the market. It is so big now I could easily get lost, but I don’t think I’d mind that. It is still noisy. It is still one of my favorite places.
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May 1, 2021 at 1:21 pm
Sounds as we had quite similar mornings, ours were colder I guess, well below 30F. The rest of the day was warm enough though and mostly sunny.
It is odd how memories just popp up! Yesterday when we were out walking in the forest I suddenly could smell spotted sausage sandwich! I have no idea where that smell come from since we were far from any homes. Still that smell made me remeber a day at the beach when I was a kid 🙂 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
May 1, 2021 at 7:46 pm
Christer,
Your morning was definitely a lot colder. I think this morning was in the 50’s. It did get a bit windy in the afternoon which made it feel colder.
Smell is supposed to be the greatest trigger for memories. Perhaps one of the witches living in the forest was cooking supper, her sausages.
To be taken back in time to your childhood has to be a great memory.
May 1, 2021 at 4:05 pm
Hi Kat,
Today the clouds are remaining until the upper level low in west Texas moves to the Northeast tomorrow. It hasn’t rained yet today, but tonight storms are forecasted again. Today the high is a cool and muggy 72°. But, on Monday the high is forecasted to hit 90°. By Tuesday another cold front will drop the temperature and give us a chance for more rain.
Human memory is amazing. I read once that the sense of smell is the sense that triggers memories best.
Thanks for another word that I had never heard and can’t pronounce.
You are fortunate to have had so many wonderful memories of your service in Ghana while in the Peace Corps. It was one of the best foreign policy ideas that paid off for both the providers and for the recipients. Thank you for your service.
May 1, 2021 at 7:54 pm
Hi Bob,
Thank you. I appreciate your comment about my Peace Corps service. One of my friends is a navy vet. He always said that Peace Corps volunteers should get credit for the 2+ years of service. He never lived in a hut. He always had electricity and water and a variety of food to eat.
We had rain last night but it dried during the morning. It will be cloudy tomorrow but in the 60’s again. We are truly getting into spring.
I also read about the sense of smell, and I attest to that. Some smells have zoomed me into my memory drawers and then the memories become pictures, images I’ll never forget.