Try To Remember

It's been c-a-a-a-razy over the last while. The weather has been amazingly HOT - which is not that normal for this coastal seaside town. We generally have fog roll in to keep the temp quite balmy - and lets you sleep in comfort, may I add - but when it was 80 last Wed at 9:30 in the evening, after a blazingly sunny day, we-e-e-ell, you knew it was not business as usual. 
I've had company too - an old school chum came for a viz and it was great! I played tourist in my own town and rediscovered what I love about this place through her eyes. (also, it didn't hurt to have hugs and smoochies from just about everyone we ran into that knows me and that seemed like the whole darn town to my friend - what can I say?) It's funny how those of us who live somewhere-everyone-else-who-doesn't-and-wants-to can get so blase about the features and attractions of that place. We just seem to take it all for granted. In any case, all that had me musing last night on summers of the past. 
My memories seem to be kindled by smell and sound. The first thing I recall is that 'chuck chuck chuck' noise the old hand pushed rotary lawn mowers made. I used to hear that evocative sound as I lay in bed at my bedtime - and it seems to me it was still real light outside - and then that is followed my the memory of the smell of freshly cut grass. Wowzers, is there a better smell? Well, unless you have allergies and that particular smell makes you stuff up like a turkey at Christmas. Add into these memories the seaside beach days that seemed to me went on all day - as I was lucky enough to be so close to the Ocean growing up - that comes with the soundtrack of screaming kids and waves along with hot dogs and fries. And stubbed toes as it seems I could never wear flip-flops without that happening. HOT slides! YEEE-owch! Sunburns before we knew the danger of that - peeling sheets of skin off... ok, yukky sounding, but I remember how satisfying it was to get a really big piece off before it tore.  And the smell of hot canvas tents from those long gone days of family camping. I still long for that particular olfactory experience.
Didn't it seem that summer was so much longer then? Certainly more magical......
Ah, memories.
Ah, childhood!

The painting is "Soaked" by John Cox. Don't think I could have found a more perfect illustration to this piece. It makes me recall doing just that with my-bestest-friend-forever-and-ever, Marilyn (hi hon!) I remember the sun sparkling on the waves just like that too....sigh. 

PS> Apologies to all for the tardy postings lately - I have to admit that it's time to replace the old pc but have to wait until I make a trip to the big smoke next month. Meanwhile I try to limit what I do on this old horse as it is becoming increasingly difficult to load pages and upload data etc. Hang in there with me my friends - I promise this too shall pass.