So the rain is falling. Brooks Pond is enjoying the replenishment. The Bullfrog Quartet is tuning up for tonight’s performance. There is a happy peace and sense of place. The week has come to an end. Many are happy. When I was working, Friday was as exciting as the weekend. The same can be said for my school days in Eldorado. A Friday evening in late June meant getting busy about summer vacation. This was close to the 4th of July, which included fireworks.

Eldorado had a slow pace. Firecrackers were a big deal. Watermelon, the delicacy of summer. My family loved watermelon. I liked it, but had to feign love. Tomatoes straight from the garden were special. Some folks washed them off with the hose and carried their salt shaker with them for a culinary delight.

Science Fiction Theatre was on TV on Friday night. The black-and-white snowy movies were wonderful until the vertical began to roll or the rabbit ears needed adjusting. Watching television in the 60s was a participatory sport. I was the remote control. I recall being in a hospital where the TV had a big remote control connected to the set by a heavy cable. I had never beheld such a device and reveled in changing the channels with it.

Neva J had cats. She loved her cats. Neva J fed stray cats that lived down the gravel road and lived in a decaying barn. She made them oats. They lapped them up. In later years, Neva J’s Cat Feeding Project took most of the morning and took place year-round. One time, a stray cat named Blacker gave Neva J the Claw, and she slapped her lightly and told her,’ Blacker, you know I am good to you.’

A June evening teaches that life is meant to be enjoyed. We are meant for a slower pace than we live. Our brains are made to think deep thoughts. Quiet moments are Polaroid Moments. In the culmination, it will be the snapshots that we remember.