“Sounds of Summer”
By
Gerry Niskern
Do the sounds of summer take you back to memories of childhood?
Sometimes the charisma of summer is all in the sounds. Try to recall the sound of the water drops hitting the dust as the field was watered before the first pitch of the Little League game. And after the first pitch came the crack of the bat. You can hear it now, can’t you?
After the game, nothing was better than hearing the ice tinkling in the ice cold lemonade unless it’s your first crunchy gulp after a hot game. Or how about the merry sound of the Ice Cream man’s chimes and you knew soon that cool ice cream would be sliding down your parched throat.
When I was growing up near the State Capitol, there used to be a family on West Jefferson, around 11th Ave. that sold the best watermelons in the whole valley. They kept them cold in a large, soda pop cooler. Mom’s
thumbs beat deep thuds as she tapped the melons. Later, at home when she slid her big knife in the dark green skin, her choice melon split apart with a loud ripping sound. It was heaven.
Inside the house, the whir of the evaporative cooler motor meant a welcome breeze. Of course if the cooler wasn’t doing too well, in high humidity, that meant we were in for one of our monsoon storms. The shattering snap of lightening and deep growl of thunder, even today, reminds me of the neighbors who slept in their backyards on hot nights. They had to run for cover many a summer night after hearing the drumbeat of the rain come marching across the yards.
Sunday afternoon meant family picnic time at Riverside Park down on South Central Ave. We headed for the sounds of water splashing and the shrieks of kids as they
became airborne off the huge slide and landed with a scream in the pool.
After a cool swim, the sputtering and popping of roasting hot dogs mingled with the sounds of a snap and hiss as dad opened bottles of Barq’s Root Beer, Orange or Strawberry pop.
The summer week was complete.
Great reminders of summer sounds. Thanks!!
I loved the ice cream man as you could hear him coming down the street. I did not get an ice cream every day but what a treat when I did. I remember watching the sand storm come up from Tucson way and then often followed by a good rain. We played Badminton in our back yard and had the lemonade. I don’t think it got as hot as it does now. Roy and his family hung wet sheets on the clothesline when they slept outside. We had a screened in back porch where we slept.. Thanks for good memories.
thanks for all of your memories, too!