But to be fair, there are a couple of summertime delights that I remember with fondness.
* Lightning bugs. They gave a fairytale touch to a humid Texas night. Unfortunately, they never lived long in our baby food jars (we punctured the lids for air flow). They did, however, make great glow-in-the-dark badges when you squished them on your clothes. I hardly see lightning bugs anymore. Where, oh where, have all the fireflies gone?
* The Cooke County Library. This was the one place in town where you might want to bring a jacket in July. It was heavenly cold. You could escape from the heat while you escaped into a good book. Rows upon rows of adventure -- Nancy Drew, Sue Barton, The Happy Hollisters, Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, hundreds of assorted mysteries in nondescript hardback covers. I spent many happy hours in that building, and even now I can remember where my favorite books were located. Now, I'm sure, the card catalog has been replaced with computers and the little blue library cards replaced by scanners. Sigh...
* Fresh, sweet blackberries straight from the vine. (And the cobblers that follow.)
* The bittersweet buzz-clicking song of cicadas. Listen to it here.
What are your summer delights?
