SUMMER TIME

Summer Time.

By the times this runs it will be mid July. Truly Summer time in sunny Florida and hopefully we have had some rain too.

Growing up in Hardee County we always went one of three directions during the Summer to cool off. North, East or West rarely if ever did we go South, excluding maybe a trip to some relatives in Miami and southwest to Lemon Bay/Englewood area.

Usually we would head West to Anna Maria Island to hop in the gulf waters or a swimming pool and beat the heat. I remember taking long walks, catching fish, playing tennis, cards and lots of swimming on that Island. It also happens to be the place I first kissed my wife. Oops it’s not mannerly to kiss and tell.

If we did not go West we would head East, again Southeast doesn’t count as South. I’d either head just a few hundred yards East to the Peace River and canoe, fish and swim or I’d venture a little farther to a small lake some people have called Lake June in Winter. We’ve had family and friends with house’s on this lake for years. It’s always been a great place to “hydro-slide”,  knee-board, ski or tube. It’s always fun running around on a wave-runner, jet-ski or sea-doo, too! But my favorite thing to do is wade the shoreline and fish about 30 minutes before dark and fish until the mosquitoes have driven me back home.

I learned to wade fish from my Dad. Several times he would fish Lake Walk in the Water, Lake Josephine or others in the area this way. Many times he would catch more fish than when we used the boat. His favorite was an old black worm that was 10-12 inches in length.

The other direction was North. We would head for North Carolina or Atlanta depending on which family I was with that day. The North Carolina family would head to Glennville area, we head up to Tennessee too. These were great times as a family taking in all the tourist trap stops along the way, arguing over whether we left the gift shop with the “Indian” tomohawk, drum set or bow and arrow, or the cowboy pop-gun.

I remember mining for gold, going through caverns, hiking up mountains, playing in ice cold mountain streams, fishing at trout ponds and lots of more stuff I don’t want my kids to find out about because they will want me to take them to do all of it. We always had a great time driving each other crazy.

This was back before seat belts and the like so we would sleep in the well of the old station wagon or practice throwing ourselves back and forth over the seat as we fought over one toy or another. As I’m sure now our parents were agonizing over hearing one more of us say, “I need to go,” or “How much longer,” or “I’m thirsty.”

 As for the Atlanta family we would always go to Atlanta and stay in the Holiday Inn, watch three Atlanta Braves baseball games, which I loved. Then after the ball games were done we would spend the next couple of days at Stone Mountain. I’m not sure what happened there, mainly because I was a total brat and pain in the rear that I’ve blocked that portion of memory from recall. But I’m sure there are family members who can readily recall each horrific moment in detail. I remember once being offered well more like told I was going to be put on a Greyhound back to Wauchula.

Our trips to Atlanta were ever so memorable and fun, again in the station wagon albeit a different one. We hit every Shoney’s restaurant known to my Dad, and now that I have two kids that can eat I understand full well the allure of “kid’s eat free.”

We also seemed to indulge my Dad and his love for the Georgia agrirama, know called, “the Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village,” they cleverly note , “Where the Present meets the Past!”  I guess growing up in Wauchula on the Peace River I felt pretty much like I had a keen grasp on the past and I was always looking toward the future. I didn’t really see the sense in studying the past, especially in Georgia during summer break. However looking back now I see a lot more clearly.

I was truly blessed growing up in Hardee County having two families that loved me and invested a huge amount of time and money in my life. I treasure the memories that we have made together and the memories our kids our now getting to make with each other. I think Summer time is a great time to be a family in America, a great time to see each other’s short comings and love each other anyway.

So whether you float down the Peace River or venture out to the Grand Canyon or up to Canada or maybe even go to Europe this Summer remember to enjoy each moment you have, be thankful for what you have been given.  God knows exactly what you need, He knows exactly where you are and He cares deeply about where you are going even during the Summer time.