In New England, unlike much of the rest of the country, lots of schools and colleges don’t start until after Labor Day. But if you’ve ever camped out or spent the latter half of August in drafty New England camp or cottage, you know the days are getting shorter and the nights often provide those crisp temperatures referred to as “good sleeping weather.”
So, before it gets away from us, I’m going to ask all the Wickeds to describe a specific and happy New England summer memory from any year.
Edith: My older son went off to Boston University in 2004. Before he did, I gathered
his brother, some good friends, my beau – plus food and drink, of course – and we all went to the beach at the end of the day for a picnic. We swam and ate and played games in that special air and light that is the seaside in the late afternoon. We repeated the gathering for many years until he moved away – and still try to grab a late day beach dinner when he comes home in the summer!
Liz: Summer’s my favorite time of the year, and I have so many lovely memories usually
involving the beach. As a kid, it was always a treat when I’d get up in the morning and my mother would have an unusual twinkle in her eye and sandwiches packed, and announce that we were going to the beach. It was such an adventure then, and it seemed like such a long ride to Salisbury. In reality it was only about 20 minutes. I remember coming off the highway exit and there was a store that used to have giant stuffed animals, and they would be set up along the roadside. Those animals were always my signal that we were almost there – plus they were adorable! As an adult, my favorite summer memory was seven years ago when Shaggy came to town. She loved ice cream and the beach right from the start, so clearly she was meant to be in this house!
Barb: Oh, Liz. I love those childhood memories. There was a railroad track near my grandparents’ house on the Jersey shore and the minute we would cross it our dog would stand up in the car, sniff the air, and wag her tail. She knew we were almost there. One of my favorite New England summer memories is at Tanglewood in Lennox, Massachusetts where the Boston Symphony Orchestra spends the summer. A whole group went, my parents, kids, brothers and sisters-in-law. It was a beautiful night, we out did ourselves with the picnic and somehow watching the young cousins on blanket on the lawn, listening to the music…
Readers–what is your favorite summertime memory?
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