Sometimes you don't really know how much you love something until you don't have it...

A Summer's Night

One of the things I miss so much are the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of a summer's night back at home. You may call me crazy but there is so much about a summer's night that I miss.

First the Sights

Those little things in the jar you see are lightning bugs or fireflies. The little twinkle in the night these little critters add is quite unique, it is one of the first things I notice that are missing.

Second the Sounds

The sounds in PA at night are like a chorus of strings with all the different melodies and harmonies, you could call it a "Cicada Chorus". I never thought I would miss the sound of crickets and locusts, but they certainly make beautiful sounds (although I guess that is very relative).

Third the Tastes

Okay, so the tastes of summer are one of my favorites. In the Philadelphia region we have this little frozen sensation called "Water Ice" but in Philly it is pronounced "Wood-er ice". There are many different brands but the greatest is: "Rita's Water Ice"

Water ice is a very difficult thing to explain. It is smoother than a slushy and more tasteful than a flavored snow cone. It is eaten with a spoon (it can be sipped through a straw, but the fact is you don't; you use a spoon) and is in some of the best fruity flavors, my favorite in mango.

Fourth the Smells

Now, you may be wondering, smells?!? What am I thinking?!? But yes there are smells. I think it is the mixture of the moist grass, with the humid night air, but there is definitely a smell, and it is one of those smells that just brings a calm feeling over me.

The Perfect Summer's Night

So here is my perfect summer's night, picture this: It is a calm night you are sitting on the porch in a swing bench eating a delicious Rita's Water ice, hearing the Cicada Chorus, smelling the humid night air, watching the fireflies blink and twinkle throughout the sky. Oh Sigh...