These are the dog days of summer, a time when it is too hot, too humid, and too buggy where I live to feel comfortable going outside much. Historically, it’s also been a somewhat depressing time as well, because by this stage, the specter of having to go back to school begins to loom large. I hate back-to-school sales, to this day, even though I haven’t been a full time student in more than thirty years.
As I’ve continued to grow older, I’ve begun to realize the good things about this time of year in the area where I live. In particular, this is the time when fresh fruits and vegetables ripen. In the U.S. Midwest, this means sweet corn, cucumbers, kohlrabi, beans, cantaloupe, watermelon, and, best of all, tomatoes. There are few things more tasty than freshly picked and freshly cooked sweet corn along with sliced, farm grown tomatoes. Yesterday, my wife and I went to a favorite farm stand nearby to pick up the first fruits of this season.
Many people love the heat and humidity; I can’t stand it. And I’ve never, ever been one to enjoy being baked to a crisp in the sun on some beach somewhere. I especially don’t care for biting insects. So, I stay indoors a lot with the air conditioning on. Rather pitiful, I know, but there it is. Give me a crisp Fall or Spring day, or even a bitterly cold winter day full of snow, and I’ll be happy.
Below are a few recent photos.
The OW Factor 