Finally, the heat has arrived. The dour forecasts of gloom and doom or rain and damp have ended. Summer is here. Those of us who wear the wood stove fanny packs and three pairs of long underwear just to see if the cold has fallen below the thermometer are thrilled.
The pursuit of chilled air and like beverages has begun.
The north end of Main Street in the Star City is a bit emptier without the Houlton Farms sign. The giant milk carton is gone. How it escaped the notice of the buzzards of broadcast is a marvel. It marked the top location for milkshakes, banana splits, cups and cones of some of the finest confections this side of Tim Hortons. No other business has had such a well-known sign of good times and good eats. There is no more perfect food than ice cream.
Fiends may well have absconded with the ubiquitous box without a morsel of news palaver to wet the spittle pumps, but the ice cream family is still serving up delightful treats. May the box return hale and hearty. One scoop of strawberry on a sugar cone please. Need many more ice cream shops to smooth out the heat waves.
Local animals are remaining silent on the disappearance. Most are just seeking a bit of shade from the hot sun. Those who have installed solar plates and sun tracker systems are finding benefits beyond free electricity. The very size of the plate makes it a useful sunshade.
The bovines at the barn are no exception. Having escaped their confines and discovered a bale of silage for sustenance, these burgers on hooves have now camped out under the shade of a solar tree.
With a twitch of their tails, and a yawn or two, these collections of ribs, roasts, and burgers are placidly chewing their cud. They have found their shade and are enjoying a relaxing moment in the shade. All should do the same.
Hello summertime!
Orpheus Allison is a photojournalist living in The County who graduated from UMPI and earned a master of liberal arts degree from the University of North Carolina. He began his journalism career at WAGM television later working in many different areas of the US. After 20 years of television he changed careers and taught in China and Korea.
