The weather is thick with humidity. It is hot, a scorcher at 89°. According to the weatherman it feels like 107°. My friend said she felt logy, a perfect description. I just sit. Moving around takes too much energy. I was going to the dump, but I don’t feel like hauling trash. The dogs have finally settled. They spent the morning panting, drooling a bit. Nala is asleep in front of the fan while Henry is by the door. They’ll perk up near dinner time.

I have friends I’ve known since the 1950’s. We were either in school together or on the drill team or both. I remember we’d have drill practice then we’d walk to O’Grady’s diner for a brownie with fudge sauce and ice cream if we had the money. We’d finish then separate and walk home in different directions. I always walked through the square, pass the fire station, the town hall and four churches. Three of those churches face each other on corners. I usually walked alone as no one else went in my direction. I loved those walks. The sidewalks had circles of light from lamps shining through windows. Street lights lit the sides of the road. It was quiet. I could hear my footsteps on the sidewalk. I could see flickering lights from TV’s through some windows. Very few cars passed by me. I sort of owned the night.

When I was in Accra, the capital of Ghana, I had the same sense. Some nights I’d walk to the hostel after a movie or dinner. I never worried about walking alone. Men talking low sat in small groups on chairs on the sidewalk. We greeted each other. I could see smoke from their pipes and cigarettes. It was mostly dark. Few stores were open. Some taxis were still on the road but very few cars. I loved that walk.

I am a night owl. I go to bed in the wee hours. When the dogs go out, I often join them and stand on the deck. All the houses are dark. It is always quiet, not even a car goes by my street. I often wonder on an especially beautiful night if people know they are missing one of the best parts of the day. I’d tell them, but I’m not so sure I want to share.

This entry was posted on August 7, 2026 at 1:10 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.