Just Another Saturday

I tell you what, a Nebraska Summer is a fabulously beautiful season filled with spectacular moments spent outside. Except in July. July is just too freaking hot. During June we only turned on the AC during the day (if at all), and opened the house up at night to enjoy the lovely 60 degree temps. But, July was a whole different story. We hardly ever went outside in July. Even the dark didn't offer a reprieve from the oppressive muggy heat. In my garden, what remained uneaten by the deer was scorched by the sun. A massive jungle of weeds grew up around our house. Nothing in the world could have enticed me outside to beat them back.

However, we suddenly find ourselves in August, and though it is still full-on summer, somehow there has been a slight, barely-preseptible shift in both attitudes and temperatures. We slept with the windows open last night listening to the racket of a millions bugs and frogs. Today Smoochy and I started fighting back against the over-growth to reclaim out property. He spent most of the afternoon with the weed-wacker. Meanwhile, I did some hand-pulling on the patio where a small forest had grown up in the cracks of the slate.

The results of our efforts allowed up to take advantage of the pleasantly hot late-afternoon with a family dip in the kiddy pool. The kids splashed and sprayed, while we sipped iced tea and some fancy "mocktail" I found the recipe for in a magazine. I was pretty excited about it, as it combined pureed watermelon, papaya, jalapeño, and lime juice. It was spicy-hot and delicious in my estimation. But, when Smoochy took his first slug of it he spit it back into the glass with shock (and distaste) despite my warning that it had bite. Not his thing. :-) Oh well.

Now we all find ourselves inside, dry, and a little tuckered out. Lola is taking 5:30 PM nap, which will surely come back to haunt me at 8:00 when I am wishing she'd go to bed. But, the ability to type with two hands is just so rare and enjoyable. Smoochy is surfing the web and the big kids are watching their Saturday allotment of television. Their pick: He-Man of course. ;-) Life is good. Now to go cook dinner. Any suggestions of light summer fare? At the rate I'm going it will probably be spicy watermelon/papaya juice and scrambled eggs. I'm loving this lazy summer's-here-to-stay night.

Totally worth the whole load of wet towels and bathing suits.