View from the Cab: Smiling from ear to ear

The taste of sweetcorn, sounds of locusts, smell of fresh rain and the sight of lightning bugs always take me back.

As I bit into the first ear of corn for the season the other day, I suddenly felt that happy summer feeling which is hard to explain. Mid to late summer is always an ideal time to munch on corn – the perfect complement to any meal. Our kids have enjoyed corn since they were little, just like their mom and dad.

I don’t know what it is but a bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwich on white toast (also known as a BLT) is a great meal idea this time of year. Corn pairs well with this sandwich. I have always been more of a BL man leaving off the T since I don’t particularly care for tomatoes unless they are chopped up and put on top of tacos. BLT time will be here soon by the looks of our garden.

The summer cicadas have been out singing their song each evening since the Fourth of July. Is it just me or are they out sooner each year? Some refer to them as locusts and others may call them “wee wees” for the noise they make. Please don’t laugh at me as I don’t make this stuff up. Mom used to always say it made her sad to hear them sing in the afternoon and evening as she was reminded the summer was flying by and that fall and winter would be here before we knew it.

There isn’t a better smell than that of fresh rainfall in the country. Farmers especially appreciate this smell since rain makes grain. I was smiling from ear to ear the other day, or corn ear to corn ear, as rain was gently hitting the window and I knew the crops were receiving a beneficial drink. We don’t need all of the strong winds that occasionally come with the rain, but I guess we will take what we can get at this point.

As a young boy, I recall gathering lightning bugs in an old Cool Whip or margarine container with holes poked in the top and a few blades of grass placed inside for the bugs. I often kept them in the container overnight waking up excited the next morning to see if they survived. It was fun chasing after the bugs across the yard and bean field. Boy, they could fly fast.

I certainly hope your summer is going well so far and that you get your fill of corn, cicadas and lightning bugs.