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Friday, July 29, 2011

July 22nd

Picture-A-Day:


Ahhh, July. So hot, kinda miserable. This summer has been particularly nasty as far as heat and humidity. Most of the country has been slammed with a massive heat wave for the last couple weeks. I think it's starting to wane, finally. Last night at 7:00 it was "only" 83 degrees. A week ago at 8:30pm it was still in the 90's. I'm afraid my poor old beast of an air conditioner won't be able to make it through the next two months. 
As I mentioned in a previous post, 5 years ago in July I was about 8 months pregnant with Jayna. I remember the weather people saying that was the hottest summer ever. I think this summer might break that record. Either that or in my old age, I'm becoming less tolerant of heat and humidity. It breaks my heart a little bit to realize how much I dread being outside when the heat index is in the upper 90's. I spent my summers as a teenager at camp, and I didn't care how hot it was. I just loved summer because it meant I was at camp. Hotter weather meant water games, or more swim time in the lake. It didn't bother me a bit. But now I notice that too much time in the humidity makes me grumpy.  
 Ok, enough whining about the heat. The purpose of this post, and the above picture, is to point out how July redeems itself. I hate July for the heat and humidity. I thank God for air conditioning in my life. But I LOVE July for its seasonal fruit that is either impossible to find, or not nearly as good any other time of the year. 
Blueberries
Peaches 
Fresh Pineapple
Sweet Cherries
I buy blueberries year-round because I love them on my cereal or oatmeal for breakfast. But there is nothing like a 10-pound box of blueberries that comes from a local farm. They're big, fat, juicy, and sweet. I love the way they burst in your mouth. And fresh pineapple... there is just nothing like it. Canned pineapple can't possibly even be the same thing, it tastes nothing like fresh. I ate so much the other day I got sores in my mouth. Don't laugh, you know you've done it too. 
And let's talk about sweet cherries for a minute. I can't even find them in the store until about mid-June, and then they're like $5 a pound. A regular sized bag is usually at least 2 pounds, which means I'm paying at least $10 for this bag of cherries. That's too much for my frugal blood. I wait til mid to late July when they reach their lowest price. A few years ago that used to be about $1.99/pound. Now I'm lucky to find them for $2.99, but I buy a bag or two anyway. I think it's the rarity of them that makes them so special to me. They're SO delicious, and I only get them for a couple weeks each summer, and that is usually late July. So, July, though you have been cruel this summer, and many others in the past, I want to thank you now for sweet cherries, blueberries, peaches and fresh pineapple.

2 comments:

  1. don't forget raspberries! Your are from the raspberry capital ya know! :) We love our raspberries in our backyard!

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  2. oh. yes. summer fruit.
    and sunshine. you still love the sunshine. :)

    you've got me thinking about camp. i'd love to go back for a week. i mean, really go back. still be kids. and play and sing and pray and listen and talk until the wee hours . . . good memories, my friend. good memories.

    i love you,
    elizabeth

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