by Mary Wakefield Buxton –
URBANNA —
As I type this column it’s 90 degrees. Such heat keeps most of us inside in air conditioning and unable to do much outdoor activity. I manage to walk the dog early in the morning and a bike ride to town after the sun sets. As the song from “Kiss Me Kate” says … “It’s too darn hot.”
I have two water color prints of views of Urbanna Creek on my desk by the late artist, Emily Chowning. Her family gave them out at the memorial reception conducted at her house in June. What a nice memory of a special native.
A family Fourth of July was celebrated at my son’s home near Beaverdam with his wife, Lori, and three sons, Joseph, William and Clay. Wake smoked ribs and shot off some fireworks over the lake in celebration of our independence from England.
The usual July Fourth celebrations and boat parade took place on Urbanna Creek. Then, on July 18, there was a second parade of boats by members of the Urbanna Creek Yacht Club. We had planned to join in the fun but the “Lydie” sank in the storm “Elsa” just a few days before the event.
We got the call that our boat had sunk at 7 a.m. Apparently the wind had built in the night as the storm pushed through causing high waves in Urbanna Creek. Waves along with the torrential rain overwhelmed her bailing system and she was swamped.
A neighbor, Dennis Pryor, came by to say his roof had flown off in the night. “My boat sank,” I answered with a straight face. He stared at me for a few seconds. “You win,” he answered and went off to meet the roofers who had already started repairs.
Such is life. There is always humor if you look hard enough. Thanks to Hazel Laughton we were able to contact Wilson Salvage right away and get the boat out of the water. Thanks to Grid Michal, our favorite “Boat Doctor” (and poet) the engine was saved.
It was great to join the Lancaster Players for their opening comedy in July after a year shutdown due to COVID-19. It was a top notch performance.
This year’s first production featured Middlesex High School graduating senior, Jackson Stamm. I was proud to see one of our own standing on stage in White Stone.
We enjoyed summer dinners at our favorite spot, the Big Oak Café, along with occasional meals at the Steamboat Grill and Sandpiper in White Stone.
One Monday morning I walked past the Urbanna United Methodist Church to find the minister dressed up as a farmer and telling a story to a group of children on the first day of Bible school. It reminded me of Bible school long ago when I was a child growing up in Ohio. I’m glad we still have Bible school for children.
Corbin Hall was open to the public in August. It was interesting to see an American mega farm at work. They had a huge turnout.
We joined friends at Pinehurst, a North Carolina Golf resort, about a five-hour trip by car, for a relaxing weekend. We don’t play golf but we enjoyed watching others at the sport. The heat was just as unbearable there as here and we decided unless the destination is Alaska, a summer vacation is best planned in cooler months.
There was an amazing amount of construction work on Kent Street this summer. I saw cranes, bulldozers, rollers, shovels, cherry pickers, wood cutters, dump trucks and dozens of all kinds of other vehicles at work all summer. Then the heavy rains. Much of “one-lane” Kent Street, in desperate need of drainage, remained under water. As usual “The Pearl,” the empty trolley, came by every 20 minutes, forcing oncoming traffic into puddles and soppy wet yards. What a mess. No amount of complaints seem to bring relief to flooded Kent Street residents. If we were tourists instead of tax paying residents, we might get some attention?
Founders Day was cursed with more rain. But August delivered the blessing of one cool week that offered relief.
Daughter Liz, her son, Walker, and their two big labs came for a visit the end of August just as Chip started a project of relaying bricks on the front walk. It was beastly hot that week but all seemed to enjoy the work while the dogs and I stayed inside in A.C. comfort.
I finished proofing my new comedy which will be published soon. Fred Gaskins is helping me ready the book for press. He has kindly done 14 of my 15 books.
When Labor Day came and went with family gatherings, I wondered how summer had passed by so fast. Looking forward to the coming fall and cooler weather.
It’s good to be back.
© 2021.
