"Summertime, and the livin' is easy," says the old Gershwin song and, indeed, summertime living can be easy if all we have to do is sit in the shade with a glass of lemonade or park ourselves in front of the air conditioner, turn on the video player and watch a round of our favorite old movies.
Unfortunately, there are those who must be outside in the heat on their jobs. Others have yards to mow and gardens to tend, and many seasonal recreational activities are carried on outdoors. Now that summer has officially begun and more scorching temperatures are forecast for this week, just remember to wear necessary protective clothing and sunscreen, take rest breaks when needed and stay properly hydrated. Plain water is most refreshing but drinking Gatorade, Powerade or other fortified drinks helps replace electrolytes lost through sweating.
Don't take any chances. If you don't have a good pair of sunglasses, a big sun hat or a generous-size water bottle, make a shopping trip and stock up. It's worth a few extra minutes at the store to avoid eye strain, a bad sunburn or heat stroke. Avoid the midday sun and do your swimming or sunning earlier in the day or in the evening. It's also a good idea to use insect repellent. Warm weather brings out an abundance of insects and an outing can easily be ruined by an invasion of flies or a sting from a pesky wasp or bee.
The weather wasn't too unpleasant on Saturday, the 11th, when we took our grandson to the fishing derby at Centerton. Hundreds of youngsters lined the banks of the pond at the fish hatchery, but we soon found a spot. Jim dug a few worms the previous evening, I found a nice big cricket for bait and, best of all, the fish were hungry. Matthew caught his three catfish in only a few minutes and then went on to take his turn shooting at the BB gun targets and archery range. He even got to take his first trip out on the water in a canoe. When we took him home, he told his mom and dad the trip was "awesome."
When we returned to Gravette, Matthew accompanied his grandpa to our backyard to help clean the fish he'd caught. Although that wasn't his favorite part of the day, he manned the pliers and helped skin the largest one. He kept saying he didn't like killing the fish, but he likes to eat them and realizes that's a necessary step in preparing them for the table. He took the hose and helped Jim clean up and left us his fish as a reward for taking him on the outing.
I went to a Gravette Day planning meeting last Thursday and Jim fried the fish for our supper that night. Sure was nice to have the tasty catfish nuggets, fried potatoes and onions all ready and waiting when I came home. We've also enjoyed a few vegetarian meals the last couple of weeks, featuring green beans and new potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, crunchy radishes and green onions from the farmers' market. Our own little garden has begun to produce and I've picked a few cherry tomatoes and sliced our first cucumber for Sunday supper.
We've made several upgrades around home this last month. Jim bought and installed a new dryer near the end of May, then purchased a new toilet a couple of weeks later. In preparation for putting it in, I did a thorough cleaning of the wall and the floor. A few days later, I even took down the window blinds, gave them a good soaking in dishwashing liquid in the bathtub and wiped them down. Made them look almost as good as new.
Jim's favorite recent acquisition is a new lawn mower, new to us, at least. He was planning to try to make our mower last through this season, but our son bought a new mower and sold Jim his old one. Joe's mower was a Yard-Man, only a few years old, and he has always maintained it well, so should serve us well for several more years. Jim's already tried it out on a yard in Patriot Park; and our yard needs mowing again, so he'll soon get a chance to use it at home.
We can let the summer just roll by with no particular structure, or fall into a routine where we do the same things over and over. Yet, there are so many options for summer fun there's no need to get into a rut or settle for a ho-hum vacation. The summer can be a time to relax but also to recharge and refuel for the return to work and school. Do something you've never done before, go someplace you've never been or explore your neighborhood as if you're a tourist. Learn a new skill or take up a new hobby, make new friends. Catch up on your reading and develop some new reading interests. Plan to attend the Sulphur Springs celebration this weekend and Gravette's activities the next. And don't forget to put the library gala, August 6, and Gravette Day, August 13, on your calendar.
Susan Holland is a long-time resident of western Benton County and the Gravette reporter for the Westside Eagle Observer. She may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 06/22/2016