SUMMER’S HERE

My son Alex and I were sitting on our back deck when I leaned over to one of my pots of daylilies to move a vine of creeping jenny that had wrapped itself around one of the bright orange petals. “Aren’t they beautiful?” I asked.

Alex looked over and nodded. “They really have popped!”

“I’m glad I moved the pots up onto the deck this year.” I leaned back in my Adirondack chair and adjusted the small pillow behind my back. “Last year I left them down on the patio and the deer ate all the blooms from one of the pots.”

“Well, they look great this year.” Alex looked around the yard. “Hey, have you seen any chipmunks today?”

I looked around under the bird feeder where they usually liked to hang out. “Not yet.” I looked back at the daylilies “I can’t believe how strange everything feels this year.”

Alex laughed. “Really?”

I had to laugh, too. “I mean even something as simple as my lilies blooming.” I looked over at Alex. “When I was growing up we had a big patch of tiger lilies at the end of our driveway. When they bloomed it meant summer was almost here and school was about to get out.” I got up and went to the covered metal bucket we kept on the deck where I stored my bird seed. I lifted the lid and took out a zip-lock bag of shelled peanuts I also kept in there for the chipmunks. Opening it I grabbed a handful of nuts and went to the edge of the deck and tossed them out by the feeder. “We should see some chipmunks soon.”

Brushing off my hands I went back to my seat and and reached out to touch the lilies again. “That’s the reason I planted these pots. They reminded me of a really special time of year for me. This is the month I’d be busy getting ready for work in the morning and I’d look out the kitchen window and see the lilies popping and know summer was on it’s way and my school year was winding down.” I felt the silkiness of the petal. “Now it just feels weird.” I looked over at Alex.

“Well, summer is here and school is about to get out.” he reminded me.

“I know.” I sighed. “But I’m missing the excitement the end of a school year usually brings. The excitement from the kids. The excitement of the staff. It’s just so different this year. There’s no excitement. Everyone is just done.”

“Well I’m excited.” Alex said.

“About what?”

“Not having to tip-toe around the house while you’re in the middle of a Zoom meeting.”

I had to laugh. “That’s true. Nothing’s more professional than being in the middle of a parent meeting and hearing one of you guys call out, “What’s for dinner?”

Alex laughed. “Hey, that’s become a very important question these last few months. So’s what’s for breakfast and what’s for lunch?”

I just shook my head and laughed again. “Don’t I know it! I rattle one pot in the kitchen and all of you come running to see what’s happening!”

“See? It’s all about looking on the bright side.” He pointed over to the lilies. “Now that you’re home it’s just not mornings and late afternoons that you get to enjoy them. But the entire day!”

I nodded my head. “I have to say I do admire the way you think.” I looked over by the bird feeders. “Oh, look!” I whispered as I pointed to the spot where a chipmunk was sitting up on his hind legs stuffing a peanut in his mouth. “He found them!”