Yesterday was hellishly warm for May, maybe even for August. The heat had me reconsidering my life. Was I virtuous enough to avoid hell? Could I escape eternal damnation? I certainly hope I am.

Last night it rained for only a short while, but it set the stage for today’s weather. It is 61° with light showers. Earlier, my usual quiet morning was jolted by the sound of a tree company parked next door felling some pine trees and chipping the downed branches and trees from that big storm a while back. The tree which had landed on my back fence is gone. I now have to brace the fence as it is leaning. I tried before, but the fence is heavy by itself let alone with a leaning pine tree. That chore is for another day.

My dance card has only chores on it including a dump run tomorrow. Today, I’m going to finish cleaning the dining room and try to start on my room which has boxes and clothes all over, the start of my switching winter for summer clothes. I figure it being the end of May that task needs to be completed.

My father was a lawn specialist in his own way. He used a hand mower his whole life. Every spring he had it sharpened. He cut his lawn in the same pattern most summer Saturdays. I loved the sound of that mower, the click click as he pushed it across the lawn. The grass flew out from the blade. He always raked with his bamboo rake, later his metal rake. Some teeth of that rake were bent but made no difference. I remember the cuffs of my father’s pants had grass in them from the flying blades of his mower.

The only ukulele players I remember are Arthur Godfrey, Big Brother Bob Emery and Tiny Tim. Bob Emery was the host of Big Brother, a show on TV in the 50’s when I was a kid. His theme song was The Grass Is Always Greener in the Other Fellow’s Yard which he accompanied with his uke. I sang along but didn’t really understand what the song was about. Toward the start of the show, we drank a milk toast to a picture of President Eisenhower while Hail to the Chief played in the background. I remember I saw him in person one July 4th during the yearly festivities in Wakefield, the town next to mine. He was in the middle of the bandstand surrounded by kids. I was one. He was wearing his usual sports coat and tie. I remember the coat always looked checkered on TV. I was right behind him. I remember a bug was on his neck.

This entry was posted on May 21, 2026 at 12:10 pm and is filed under Musings. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Both comments and pings are currently closed.