Snapshots of a summer season: sunshine, berries, depots and ‘Cats’

Memorial Weekend to the Fourth of July – summer is flying by. No lazy, hazy days of summer yet, but certainly lots of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors even though the temperature has been a bit on the cool side for the most part. We’ll wait to complain about humid, muggy weather another time – although more sunshine surely would help the tomato and pepper plants grow a little more quickly.

Like other folks I’ve talked to, less-than-perfect planting conditions resulting from a very wet month of May caused some gardening problems. The beans, peas and corn were all replanted twice – although you’d never know it to look at the mostly bare spots in what should be rows of sturdy plants. Daddy certainly would not have to complain about my crooked rows this year since few actual ‘rows’ of anything exist.

Desperate times call for desperate measures – I resorted to purchasing pea plants after the second go-round of seeds produced scant results. So far they look pretty good, but it’s going to be awhile yet before Gwendolyn can pick and eat peas right out of the pod the way she likes them.

Wet spring weather did have its upside – my rose bushes are putting on a spectacular show, and some old blackberry vines along the front of the house have come back to life this year to yield lots of yummy berries. Picking berries is not exactly a favorite task for Caleb – at 22-months-old, munching on the sweet treats that his older sister picks is much preferred.

A visit from the Charlevoix clan provided time for little Jack to become acquainted with life in Riley. He and dad enjoyed the green grass – like everything else he can grab, the grass would have ended up in Jack’s mouth without dad’s intervention.

Not all the summer fun has taken place outside. A trip to the Wharton Center produced some indoor magic when Gwendolyn, her mom and I entered the world of ‘Cats.’ It was a fun experience, made even more memorable by a faux pas of yours truly. When theatre management says "No use of cameras," they mean it.

I meant no harm in taking a couple of pictures during intermission – we weren’t bothering anyone – but it is against the rules. At least the digital images were still on my ‘confiscated’ camera when I retrieved it from the theatre office at the conclusion of the performance.

Guess I’d better stick to photography on the wide open beaches of Lake Michigan – blue water glistening on the colorful stones is more to my liking anyway. Pictures of the restored Charlevoix depot – with Ella as a tour guide – also produced lovely images.

Perhaps our own Friends of the Depot organization for the old Grand Trunk Depot in St. Johns will soon create stunning gardens like the ones that are situated around the Charlevoix depot. Too bad we can’t import the lovely blue waters of Round Lake to go with the depot here.

I’ll just have to keep making those trips to Charlevoix for that – what a hardship.

Memorial Weekend to the Fourth of July – it’s been grand. Wonder what July Fourth to Labor Day Weekend holds in store?

Our wish from the Indy is for lots of good times and happy memories for you and yours.

Happy Independence Day.