Scenes of Summer

The feisty little hummingbirds fighting over the backyard feeder are a reminder that the seasons are about to change. I’m always a bit sad to see the little birds go on their great migration. How do they manage to fly so far twice a year? How do they remember where the feeders are? And what is that flicker doing on the hummingbird feeder? Go away!

But after weeks of jungle-like humidity, September usually provides some relief. Even on the beautiful summer days we have had off and on, the thought of disease-carrying mosquitoes is enough to keep me on the sun porch looking out. Not to mention every time I attempt yard work, I end up with poison ivy.

Visits to the beach this year have had their ups and downs, and not just with the surf. At Horseneck Beach, a couple of times this summer (that I know of) the lifeguards were constantly blowing whistles and finally making everyone get out of the water due to rip currents. It’s been quite a bad summer for riptides all along the East coast.

 We finally got in a visit to the beach at South Shore/Goosewing in Little Compton, tagging along with a friend who lives near there. I had heard that the beach really got clobbered with winter storms, and certainly the part of South Shore beach closest to the parking lot is at this point nothing but piles of fairly big rocks at high tide and not that much better at low tide. There’s more soft sand at the eastern part at Goosewing, if you can clamber over all the rocks to get there.

I read where up at Salisbury Beach, which we visited a year ago, the town spent well over half a million dollars to replenish the sand on the beach and that sand got washed away almost right away too! Isn’t there a saying that Mother Nature always bats last?

The thing about going to the beach is that it’s only a fairly short drive to get to a completely different geographic area – the open sky, the wide ocean with its pulsing surf, the sand, the sea breeze, the lovely scent of beach roses in the dunes. It feels like a vacation even if only for a day. And in the fall, it’s always pleasant just to walk along the beach. Like some Victorian-era sea bather, I’m convinced that enjoying a fresh ocean breeze is really good for you. Plus, it is a bonus just to walk along the beach not burdened with beach chairs, towels, umbrellas, etc.

 In addition to the beach, we enjoyed visiting with the elephants in Newport, which I mentioned last time. These are not real elephants (that would be a show!) but an art exhibit of over two dozen life-size elephants, big and small, created out of some wicker-like invasive plant. The herd has moved along to New York City in their migration across the country, but they provided a fun activity at Rough Point and elsewhere along Cliff Walk this summer. The day was also a reminder of how crowded Newport gets in the summer.

The one airline trip we took early this summer went very smoothly; the planes were on time and all the passengers seemed to be reasonable people. This has not been the case for everyone this summer. The evening news now seems to feature a “bad trip” story from someplace every day, especially if Boeing is involved. Seeing disgruntled travelers standing in endless lines at airports always makes a person glad that you’re not part of it.  If “schadenfreude” is the German word for rejoicing in others’ misfortune, maybe the Germans have a word for the   feeling of sympathizing with the problems of others, but being very relieved that it’s not happening you.

Driving gives you more control when traveling, but has its own problems. Every time I see someone on the highway weaving in and out while doing 80, I always think of the line from Bob Dylan: “the highways are for gamblers, better use your sense.” If only more drivers took this advice. Now that school is back in session, please use your sense about being careful sharing the road with a school bus and watch for children. To repeat what should be obvious, drive like your life depends on it.