I posted last time on 6/12 so posting on 6/21 has me in reverse! Being in reverse has me thinking of the past. Summer has arrived full force at the Pines. Our temps have hit the 90's along with humidity that makes the hair frizz. We are blessed with A/C to keep us comfy. Our son has a pool that he welcomes us if we want to take a swim. Tomorrow will bring some relief as rain arrives in the evening. We're heading to Chicago on Wednesday for a family reunion this coming weekend. What does all this have to do with the past? Well, last night I let Annabelle out for a final pee run around 10pm. I stood on the deck and felt the warm breeze and saw a light show from the lighting bugs, (or maybe you call them fireflies?) As a kiddo I remember summer nights like that with warm, humid air that didn't seem to bother us and oh those lovely lighting bugs! Out would come the old mayo jars or whatever we had, to catch them and watch them light up. Gross boys would smear them on their shirts to glow in the dark! Yuck! That memory brought back memories of the folks sitting on the front porch chatting with a neighbor or else my Aunt and Uncle who lived across the street while we played in the yard or across the street in an empty lot that became our baseball field of dreams. Always a game being played or hopscotch on the road. Not many cars came down our street then and riding bikes or playing in the road was OK. Dark time brought ghosts in the graveyard games or maybe statue maker. The boys in the hood used to tease me that the bats flying in the sky would fly into my hair and get all tangled up in it! Scared me enough to head for home! (Probably that was their intent!) One of the older boys bet me I couldn't hop up the front cement stairs of his house on one foot. I said I sure could! Not only that, but I could also do it on one foot with my eyes closed. And I did the hop but missed the stair and hit my head and ended up in the emergency room with stitches. Another story for another day! I think I was in the ER more than my 4 brothers ever were! Hot days running through a sprinkler, drinking from the hose, not coming home until the 6 o'clock fire whistle when off and we had to head home for dinner only to head out again until we were called in for the night. We didn't have A/C in our home, but that old GE oscillating fan was a welcome relief. Mom and Dad eventually got an air conditioner in their bedroom and us kids would camp out on really steamy nights. I was blessed with good friends, a safe neighborhood, a good family, and lots of good memories that come quietly and sweetly on a hot humid night as I'm back to my future with lighting bugs to greet me at the Pines.
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