Yesterday it finally rained. Today it will rain again. The house is dark. Last night I lit all the white lights in the living room and the pepper and clam lights in the kitchen. I am comforted by the coziness the lights give the rooms.

I love the sound of rain, the way it pelts the windows and the roof. When I was a kid, on a rainy day, I’d lie in my bed, read and listen to the rain. It surrounded me. Out my window I could see the slant of the rain. If some drops came through my window, my mother always made me shut it. I did, reluctantly.

I had my uniform for every summer day. I wore a sleeveless blouse, shorts and sneakers. The sneakers were originally white. I’d dress in the morning, eat my cereal then spend all day exploring. I remember once we happened upon a small pond and a handmade wooden raft was beside it. We launched the raft and used a stick to pole it. One end of the raft was under the water so we all stood crowded at the other end. I was Huckleberry Finn rafting down the river. My sneakers got soaked, and I cut my hand on the stick pole, but I didn’t really mind. It was an adventure. I’d explore not only the familiar woods near my house but also the woods further on, foreign lands. Sometimes because of the heat and the distance, I’d get so exhausted I’d just fall into bed still wearing my clothes. My mother never objected. I did take off my sneakers.

Summer has such bounty. Sugar corn on the cob was my favorite. I’d slather the ear with butter and sprinkle on the salt. I used the typewriter technique to eat the corn, to go from row to row. I’d take a short breath and keep moving. I’d clear the cob with award worthy precision.

The traveling I have done has taught me to try new things. I eat local dishes. Some of them had ingredients I never imagined I’d eat. One was Guinea pigs in Ecuador. I ate the traditional dish at a small restaurant in a little town. The meal was delicious once I got beyond it was Guinea pig. I have eaten goat so many times it is now just a regular food for me. I find it bony. Mostly I have eaten it in soup. I ate reindeer in Finnish Lapland during midnight sun time. It was domestically raised so it didn’t have that gamey taste. I’d mention the blinking red nose but that sounds a bit sacrilegious. It was in Africa where I palate got so expanded food was a great adventure.

My dance card is uke heavy as usual. I have practice tonight, the John Denver book, my lesson tomorrow morning and two concerts, songs of the sea music. Our first Monday night outside concert is next week. It is getting summer busy.

This entry was posted on June 23, 2026 at 1:13 pm and is filed under Musings. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.