TheBanyanTree: At the Brink (of summer)

[B Drummond]

We are at our Memorial Day Weekend which is considered by some the 
"start" of summer.  The same bunch consider the end of summer as Labor 
Day Weekend.

I suppose the ancients that built and "worshipped" at Stonehenge might 
have disagreed with that premise, had they knowledge of the date of our 
Memorial Days to come ;-)

And you know, things are looking kinda' summery around here.  We had 
almost 10 inches of rain in the month of May so all about us are rich 
deep-greens and our weather is staring to feel like summer with temps 
expected to hit the mid 80s.

Outdoor concerts are happening, boats and water skiers are on the 
lakes,  bbq grills are huffing fragrant smoke mixed with odors of meat 
over flame, garlic on the grill.  When the air clears from the grills,  
the scent of mown grass soon replaces that of the smoke. People are 
gassing up their vehicles with cheaper (than last summer) gasoline and 
hitting the roads.  Many of the schools are already closed for the 
summer or very soon will be.  Kids are roaming the neighborhoods at 
previously unusual hours. 

The gardenias are set to bloom, the climbing roses are now, and have 
been for weeks on end, in gorgeous bloom.  The lemon grass is ready to 
run wild, just as soon as the night's temps hover around 75 to 80 
degrees instead of the 50 to 60 will have now. Soon the mimosas will 
don their pink "eyelash" blooms and fill the air with sticky sweet.  
The butterfly bush is sporting its "Christmas tree" shaped flowers.  
The hummingbirds, butterflys and the bees can't wait.  The roses of 
Sharon will soon bloom and accent the side of the house with blooms 
that will last till October.  The perenial hibiscus, slow to send new 
shoots out this year, will soon sport ostentatious, huge red flowers.  
And regrettably, soon, the Japanese beetles will take wing and try 
their best to strip everything mentioned above.  

Soon the weather will turn hot.  Soon I will have a "good" excuse for 
my laziness.   Time to hang a hammock, time to thank God from the 
bottom of my heart for the privilege of seeing another season's changes 
in the  blur that I know as life.

And in that always-too-short blur we now are at the brink 

of another welcome summer.   




    bd
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