Chasin' Fireflies
In the Shenandoah Valley, summer was full of warm breezes. We didn't have an air conditioner until I was much older, so we stayed outside in the evenings as long as we could, usually way past dark. Mom would hang blankets over the windows to block out all the sun and hopefully some of the heat, but it still built up in the evenings.
We've been watching the fireflies light up each evening just before dusk, but it seems like their show is done before it really gets dark. When we were kids the front yard would be full of 'em and they would keep glowin' around until our bedtime and beyond. Of course, we'd chase 'em and catch some. We kept peanut butter jars to put them in. Mom loved peanut butter so they were always the biggest jars we had. I remember laying in bed and looking out the window, watching them as I would fall asleep. We slept with the windows open all summer long. We had lots of those little sliding screens that would drop right into the track and keep it open about a foot. One of my brothers would somehow manage to get a box fan to stay wedged in a window sometimes, but of course, it would sometimes fall out too, but still, it would be blowing as it hung by its cord.
On really warm nights we'd camp on the front porch. We'd line all of our sleeping bags up across the concrete and our dog, Bootsy, would lay at the top of the steps to keep watch over us. Our front porch was also our cistern, so it was high off the ground. Some nights we'd tie sheets or blankets to the railings to cover us so we wouldn't be damp from the dew by morning. I'm sure there were many nights that instead of going back in the house, we would just pee off the front porch. I got in trouble for pee'in outside when I was playin' at the neighbor's house. She didn't understand why she couldn't pee standing by the tree. Mom told me I couldn't do that anymore.
On cool nights, I always think, it sure is a nice night for campin'. I doubt I'd be much good at it these days. I'm not too keen on sleeping on the ground and I'm even less keen on getting back up. I do like being outside though when it's nice. Our screen porch is our favorite place to be. That's where I'm sittin' right now, writing this.
When we would go see grandmaw and granddaddy Edge in the summer, granddady would get the ice cream maker out. He'd sometimes let us take turns cranking it. If we got tired, we could sit on it, but that was a lot of work too. We'd stay cool though. We made lots of chocolate chip ice cream, but I remember when granola ice cream was all the rage. It wasn't granola like we know today made of oats, nut, raisins, and honey. The granola cereal was just little grains and looked like cat litter! It was so good. Mom loved it so granddaddy would make it too. It felt like it took hours to make it, but just minutes to eat it. He bought all the families ice cream makers one year for Christmas. I don't think we ever used ours. It sat in mom and dad's closet. Mom was known for puttin' good stuff up and saving it for when we needed it. But I guess we never needed it.
I'm gonna go in now and get me a scoop of some plain ole vanilla and watch a little tv. The fireflies have gone to bed now and I will soon.