Summer not so different than when we were kids

There was nothing hotter than sitting in an aluminum boat bass fishing in the middle of July. Nothing hotter except fishing in the middle of August.

Popsicles melted so fast we ate both at the same time, never bothering to separate the sticks. Yet in that sweltering heat we jumped rope for hours, played hopscotch in the driveway, searched the creek holes for crawfish and grew proficient at spitting watermelon seeds.

Summer days seemed endless as we raced around barefoot from morning till night; then we counted shooting stars or caught lightning bugs till Mama made us come in for a much-needed bath. It was hard to tell where the tan ended and the dirt began.

The next day and the next brought one adventure after another during those childhood summers. We could spend a whole morning scooping up minnows or tadpoles in the shallow edge of the pond. After lunch we’d climb up into the treehouse or go roller-skating, or hunt for toads and turtles, or maybe we’d make necklaces of clover chains, which soon wilted.

We rode bikes, made forts, swung from vines, played ball, went swimming, flew kites. We did everything except stay inside; only a thunderstorm could corral us. When the heat was too oppressive, we’d sit on the grass under a huge shade tree and play canasta with double decks of cards to lengthen the game. We played jacks on the porch when it poured. As soon as the clouds passed and steam rose from the pavement, we’d shoot outside again, slamming the screen door behind us.

Those were the days before television, when radio shows and records entertained us at night; in the daytime we were entertained merely by being outside.

As many changes as we’ve seen, some things remain the same. Certainly there are bored and restless youth who spend too many hours alone, playing video games on their computers or staying holed up in their dark rooms listening to music.

But most youngsters around town are doing exactly what we did: enjoying every minute of a midsummer’s day, oblivious to the weather, be it foggy or drizzly, windy or sunny.

They are riding bikes, scooters and skateboards. They are walking down the road with their fishing rods and tackle boxes. They are skipping stones at the shore. They are swimming in cool lakes or shooting baskets down by the school.

Smaller kids are running through sprinklers or playing on slides or crouching down near the pond, their nets aimed and ready for long-legged bullfrogs. Or they are picking strawberries or collecting sea glass on the beach or hand-lining for crabs from the dock or studying tide pools where periwinkles and mussels live. They are licking ice-cream cones or Popsicles just as we did, and their chins are just as sticky.

The days seem endless, and there is so much to do. One adventure after another.

It’s summertime, and the living is easy.