The premier of movie night was wonderful, almost perfect. We had appetizers then dinner then War of the Worlds, the one made in 1953. The movie was fun to watch. The heroine was a typical 1950’s science fiction female. She screamed a lot with her hand to her open mouth wide with horror, buried her head in the hero’s shirt and promptly fell in love with him. The only crimp in the evening was how cold it got. There we were on July 12th wearing long pants, sweatshirts and one of my guests even added socks to her ensemble. Two were bundled in blankets. Wearing pajamas was optional but one was clad in warm and cozy night clothes, including slippers. I wore a sweatshirt but in honor of summer stayed in bare feet. I love these movie nights, and every time I have one I think how cool it is to be outside on your deck watching a movie.

My town used to have a very small, secluded drive-in off the beaten path. It was surrounded by woods. Bugs, especially mosquitos, were plentiful. We’d daub bug spray on us in the car or burn mosquito coils around us when we’d sit outside on lawn chairs. High mounds of dirt for some unknown reason separated each row of parking spots. The car went up and down and up and down until we’d finally settle on a spot. Our drive-in snacks included crackers and cheese, a dip or two, chips and a bottle of wine or a thermos of already made drinks, summer drinks with lots of ice. It was a favorite spot of ours on a Saturday night. Being in the car was almost like being in your own house to watch a movie. You could eat noisy snacks and you could talk any time you wanted. I was really bummed when that drive-in closed. Where it used to be is a field now, and I am sometimes tempted to get out of my car to see if any remnants of the drive-in remain hidden in the tall grass. It would be a sort of archeological dig of places from my past.