The Suitcase Lady

Ripe

July 31, 2013, 12:24 am

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Summer is at its peak of ripeness. Despite the fact that every store is trumpeting back to school sales and merchandise, fall is not imminent.

For those of us who prefer to live in the moment, the signs of high summer are blazingly evident. Outside, the air is hot and muggy; inside, the fans and dehumidifier are running on overdrive. Our blacktop road steams after rain showers, and the cats vie for the coolest nap spot in the house, our marble topped table.

The roadsides all around us glow with masses of orange daylilies while the Queen Anne’s Lace  and cone flowers grace the open fields. Since we have been blessed by the rain goddesses, the field corn is over my head  and the alfalfa is ready for another cutting.

Each week the piles of just picked produce at the farmers’ markets are growing higher and more varied. The sweet corn has arrived. We’ll be husking and eating that delicacy out on the deck as we watch the sunset.

Our purple martins are still residing in the apartment houses we’ve provided them in our side yard. The martins spend their days swooping through the skies, scooping up insects and delivering the bugs to their chirping babies. These kids quickly need to get big and strong for the mid August migration to Central and South America.

Our other animal babies are thriving as well. The new raccoons look like furry beach balls, the chipmunk youngsters are almost as big as their parents and the male baby grosbeaks are losing their drab brown feathers for black and white outfits with brilliant red dickies.

We are eating with the gusto of our animal friends. The ice cream stands all beckon. While we haven’t indulged in “chilled champagne and potato chips”, the perfect heat wave menu, it does sound tempting.

The fresh notebooks, new crayons and fall clothes will have to wait. Summer is calling.

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