Tuesday, August 16, 2016
The Joys of Summer
Growing up in our little brown house in Twin Falls included enduring the heat of summer. Cherie recently visited us in Austin and one evening when we were driving back to the house I had a clear and sensual memory of being in the back seat of the car on a summer evening in Twin Falls, windows down, licking a soft-serve vanilla ice cream cone. It was a wonderful memory. It got me thinking of other particularly salient memories I have of summer time as a child.
My favorite memories of summer include sleeping outside in the back yard, roasting and eating hot dogs, delicious picnics on Grandma and Papa's back yard, finally when Aunt Jean's corn-on-the-cob 'came on', the chlorinated water of the Harmon Park pool, the smelly mineral water of Nat-Su-Pa, going camping, riding bikes, sparklers on the 4th, homemade ice cream (I only remember us making it once or twice but it was so yummy and runny), having to sell the produce from our garden down on the street by going door to door in our neighborhood, going to the basement for relief from the heat (no AC in our house!), having cousins come and visit, being stung by a bee when I was running in the grass barefoot, black snake-like fireworks (left messy sidewalks), a delicious cold pop, beautiful roses and other flowers in Grandma's garden, using paper fans at church, thinking Popsicles were such an awesome treat, and always getting watermelon when the adults got to eat cantaloupe!
I'm sure there are MANY more things I'm not thinking of. What comes to your mind when asked, what is a memory you have of summer?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Happy Birthday Michael!! I love you!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy memories of summer.......sleeping late, swim lessons at Harmon park pool, walking to Harmon park pool in our swim suits carrying our towels, canning peaches and pears and best of all, cherries, drinking water from the
ReplyDeletehose and letting the water run until it was deliciously cold, running through the sprinkler, skinned knees with band aids on them, playing kick the can after dark and never kicking the can because somebody would see me and then I would have to be it, the taste of carrots freshly pulled out of the garden, or cucumbers, or tomatoes, the smell that would get on your hands after picking tomatoes, the smell of freshly cut grass, the way we would have to walk on the grass because the pavement would be too hot to walk on, the relief when we would open the windows at night and let the breeze in, sleeping in our underwear, shorts and tank tops, going bare foot.....
Wow did we really have a garden? I don't remember one. I remember the Sunday drives after church. Or did that happen on Saturday, yummy greasy fried hamburgers on Friday night, staying at Aunt Jeans and Uncle Walkers during the summer and sleeping out side, gathering eggs, playing with the kittens, running down to the corner store for Licorce , playing pioneer wagon train on our picnic table in the back yard, mowing lawns with Steve Victor, playing basket ball with Tommy Atwood next door, picking and eating to many green apples and getting a stomach ache for doing so, picking rhubarb, walking the railroad tracks in the springtime to pick asparagus , playing baseball in the backyard with Larry and Dick and watching that baseball soar over the alley into the neighbors back window, running down the alley to play with my friends, building forts in the backyard with blankets, playing with Mikes matchbox cars in the dirt we were building roads and having races,...
ReplyDeleteI am with Pat - We had a garden? I remember the fantastic thunder and lightening storms through the front window as we laid on the floor. Cutting lawns for money. Picnics in the South Hills, Twin Falls and Shoshone Falls parks. How about over easy with a tennis ball..
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised you don't remember the garden. It may have even been before you were born, Bruce. We had like 1/4 of an acre down on Addison (going towards Shelbys) on the other side of the street. I think it was property of Mrs. Crump. We had a big garden and lots of fresh produce. But I think it may have been for only one summer.
ReplyDeletethanks Bruce for remembering the picnics down at Shoshone and Twin Falls. How could I have forgotten those? The grass was so green and lush and the temperature about 20 degrees cooler than outside the canyon. I loved those picnics.
I didn't mention, "Easy Over" because just thinking about it causes knots in my stomach. I've been pondering a blog post on my childhood fears. That activity will be part of that post.
As far as I know I've always been a huge fan of lightning and thunder storms. I loved how we'd 'sleep' on the living room floor with our big picture window providing a perfect view of the storm. Remember one time that lightning actually hit the street and about blasted us out?
The Victors and Atwood are important players in summer memories. Steve and I got in big trouble for tying Nubie's bike up in a tree. It was there, we could do it, so we did. I also remember throwing firecrackers over the house onto Addison as cars were driving by. I didn't throw. I was just there.
I think Dad particularly enjoyed our Sunday drives through the farm fields of the valley. I remember us checking out farms where Charlie was working moving pipe.
And, yes, Michael's matchbook cars in the dirt under the bedroom window by the back door is a very strong memory.
Sticky, hot canning with bushels of produce in the dining room did happen many summers, but I'm not remembering it happening every summer. Maybe early on it was every summer and as time went, and I aged, mother wasn't inclined to do it so often.
It is interesting how the differences in our ages can influence what we remember. I'm sure LuAnn and Larry could contribute things the rest of us don't remember.
I do remember one year Lawrence built a store out of a Indian blanket -- like a lean-to, in the vacant lot next to us. He sold soda pop and candy at slightly marked up prices. I have no idea if he actually made money doing this. I remember him coercing me into walking that long hot distance to Shelbys to buy more pop for him. So heavy to carry home! My payment was a bottle of pop -- probably Coke but we loved the fruit Fantas too.
Michael and Charlie -- we'd LOVE to hear from you too!
Love you!
I love when you all share these memories.
ReplyDeleteI'm appreciate your writing skill.Please keep on working hard
ReplyDeleteclipping path service provider
This is an awesome post.Really very informative and creative contents. These concept is a good way to enhance the knowledge.clipping path service
ReplyDelete