Wave

We're in the middle of another heat wave. There has been a short break of two days since the last one. That last heat wave gave us 14 days of high temperatures at 99 or above, with dew points in the low 70s. As you might imagine, I have been staying inside where it's cool. Basically, I study Greek and Hebrew and occasionally I watch the heat waving from the pavement. Sometimes I wave back.


In spite of the heat, we ventured out this morning. We drove to McLeod's Farms which is an hour north of us. McLeod's has been a family business for exactly 100 years. They are located right off Hwy 1--an easy, old-fashioned drive from the north or the south. This is our favorite source for tree-ripened peaches. When we move, I will give up this luxury. The best peaches in the whole world are white-flesh varieties which have been left on the tree until the last minute, then picked by hand. They are too tender to ship. But even the other, sturdier varieties are less satisfying when shipped, since they must be picked earlier, before they are fully ripe.

Although I no longer pick the peaches myself (as I did in my childhood), I can poke my nose into the half-bushel box from McLeod's and pretend I'm standing in an orchard for a few minutes. This summer, Sundays are reserved for activities like this which let us relish the South for a few more weeks.

The heat is awful, no doubt. But there are many positive things about our southern life that we will miss.