…the drowsy hum of crickets and other sleepy sounds of the summer day…
~Gerald Raftery (1905–1986), Gray Lance, 1950
Summer has many sounds. A few of my favorites are the din of cicadas in the trees, the whippoorwills at night, and a good summer thunderstorm. Maybe it’s the heat, or maybe it’s simply that I am getting older, but the sounds of summer make me sleepy. Since I am retired, I am up early in the morning and, after my coffee, I head out to my gardens to survey the day, pull the never-ending weeds, and water the multitude of plants that are screaming for a cool drink of water. Then, in for a bite of lunch and usually an afternoon nap. Perhaps I should feel guilty about the lack of inside housework that happens, but I’m simply too sleepy to resist reclining on my bed with a book that will soon be dropped on my chest as I drift off to a land of butterflies, and bees. Summer lulls, summer stills, summer wraps us in a warm blanket, plays a sleepy soundtrack, and invites us to slow down, rest, and dream of beautiful things. In my opinion, the housework can wait!
Georgette Recker
Somervell County Master Gardener