Summertime Sensations

Last night was a treat for the senses, all of them.

Taste. The smooth sweetness of homemade sour cherry pie, a true summertime delicacy, the flaky crust mingling with the silky texture of the vanilla ice cream as it slipped past our lips.

Sight. The beautiful light show put on by the fragments of a comet's tail as they burst into flame in Earth's high atmosphere: The Perseid Meteor Shower. The night was so moonless and clear we could see the bright sash of the Milky Way like a belt around the sky, holding in the bulging light show.

Touch. The cool moistness of the grass at midnight as we picked our way carefully along the lawn to the meteor shower desired viewing location, away from the house and the trees. The warm, fuzzy blankets underneath and on top, the chill in the air tickling our noses as the Earth released the spent heat of the day. She wore no blanket to keep in her warmth last night.

Smell. The musty odor of decaying bark mulch, flowers that have seen their better summer days, and squash vines dying back to put the plant's full energies into the ripening of the fruit. The smells were magnified by the darkness. Our other senses compensating for our inability to see what was around us as we lay on the grass gazing skyward with anticipation.

Hearing. The symphony of crickets and tree frogs trying to drown out the hushed voices of the newcomers as they lay on the damp Earth gasping at each bright streak as it raced across the dome overhead. We were made aware of our status as intruders to this nighttime habitat by the many voices surrounding us. All day as we baked pies and waited for the dark skies the catbirds mewed at us unceasingly as if to say, prepare yourselves, summer is winding down. This morning the crows were here, cawing their arrival in the yard, announcing their domination of this post-dawn territory. When the days turn less hot and I again feed the multitude of neighborhood birds as they return from their wanderings, the crows will not be so bold. The jays and cardinals will send them packing.

Summertime sensations: Taste, Sight, Touch, Smell, Hearing. Each season brings its own sensations to our five senses. Enjoy the sensations of summer, it is rapidly slipping away. As I look forward to the sensations of fall, my favorite season, I am also keenly aware of the short time left of summer and am desperate to grasp hold of every bit of this season. The more years that are under my belt the more quickly the seasons change, and the more noticeably I yearn for a rope to tether them and slow them down. I am not so eagerly looking forward to what is around the next corner as I was in my youth. Savor the summertime moments, the voice inside my head entreats me. It will be gone soon.