“How Do We Know It’s Almost August?”

By

Gerry Niskern

August is a special time of year in Phoenix and the Valley of the Sun. How do we know it,s almost  August? Forget the calendar. There are all kinds of tell tale signs that this unique month has almost arrived.

You know that brown spot in the yard? The one that you’ve been trying to green up all summer with extra hand watering; you realize you just don’t look that direction anymore. And those geraniums in the pots under the shade tree, dead.

The dog hides when he sees you with the leash in your hand. He’s not about to go for a walk on that hot pavement. And the weeds along side the streets are high enough to hide in. You’re not startled anymore when you see wading pools and patio umbrellas become airborne and blow past the window.

You know it’s August when the water in the swimming pool is unbearably warm. I’ve actually heard one fellow complaining that he was sweating while doing laps! And you can’t invite company over for dinner, because it’s too hot to barbecue outside and you’re sure not about to cook a real meal inside!

When I was growing up here in Phoenix, we knew it was August when we had grown tired of playing in the revolving lawn sprinklers and I’d read every new book in the children’s section of the Carnegie Library on W. Washington. August was when the sudden rainstorms in the middle of the night sent our neighbors scurrying from their sleeping cots in the back yard. The lightening flashes illuminated nightshirts flapping in the wind as they hurried in the back door before the rain hit.

You knew it was August when you woke up on a Saturday morning to the delicious smell of fresh Aspen cooler pads as the refreshing breeze wafted through the house. No one left their evaporative coolers on at night; we didn’t need to. Dad always changed pads in August after we had gone through a few dust storms. That was back when dust storms were called plain old “dust storms” before they were known as “Haboobs.”

When my kids were growing up I knew it was August when the cool beach vacation had faded from memory and unrest was breaking out because brothers and sisters were getting tired of each other. When their blond friend’s hair was turning green from all the chlorine in the pool. I knew it was August when their bathing suits were getting too small and were so faded you couldn’t see the color anymore. Their flip-flops were so stretched out all they did was flop.

I knew it was time to return the overdue library books; but I really knew it was August when my number two son who refused to give up short sleeves in the fall and long sleeves in the spring, finally started wearing short sleeves!

Now, the majestic storm clouds gather every afternoon. Then one evening in August, there is a spectacular sunset, and another and another every day.

Soon you won’t be able to  find that annoying brown patch in the lawn anymore, and the water in the pool will be refreshing again. The noise you hear are the school buses rumbling down the street, on practice runs, another sign that fall is indeed around the corner.