Greenup in the spring

This is the view from my favorite sitting spot on our front porch. Summer has arrived in Appalachia. I see green wherever my eyes look, my world is hot, I hear birds tweeting, bugs bugging, and bees buzzing.

screendoor

Tipper and Paul – Summer 1970s 

I’m not sure what it is about summer, but it always takes me back to childhood and makes me feel like I’m a skinny barefoot girl again. Summer in Appalachia is magical. During the summer it’s as if the outdoors beckon you like a seducing siren. The land simply comes to life. I’m sure others feel the same calling the same awakening in other parts of the country, but I can only speak of what I know and summer in Appalachia is something I know.

Pap and Paul picking and grinning

Paul and Pap 

The word summer makes me think of- barefeet, slamming screendoors, being sent to the garden for something, sending someone to the garden for something, katydids, lightning bugs, warm tomatoes, canning jars, hard work, swimming, sunning, watermelons, blackberries, flip flops, cotton night gowns, warm dirt, baseball, sun kissed faces, corn on the cob, fried squash, fresh cucumbers, guitar picking on the porch, clotheslines, honey bees, orange day lilies, and red hot pokers.

For this week’s Pickin’ & Grinnin’ In The Kitchen Spot- Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow Tree. The first song The Carter Family ever recorded-in 1927. Even though the old bluegrass standard is about an unfaithful lover-somehow it shouts summer time to me.

Hope you enjoyed one of my favorite summer time songs. What does summer make you think of? Is there a song that shouts summer to you?

Tipper

 

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19 Comments

  1. love the harmony on this — Pap sings out strong. Sending hugs to Granny.
    Summer is shady groves and running streams, being barefoot, watermelons, making ice cream, having family all around, stories, fireflies…….

  2. What a great melody, even for a kind of sad song. Thanks Pap and Paul for the great harmony. Tipper, loved seeing you playing along too. I could just about pick out every string you strummed and it just flowed.
    My favorite Summer song? Why that would have to be the Drifters ‘Under The Boardwalk’ as you know I am an Ocean City girl. 🙂 xxoo

  3. You’re right, Tipper, summer makes me remember childhood summers. I think it is because when I was young I spend all my time outside in direct contact with the earth. Now I just look out the window!!
    This summer we have had so much rain everything is lush and beautiful.

  4. Summer to me is so many of the things you listed, warm star-lit nights, fresh veggie’s from the garden, the smell of fresh mown hay, the golden light of wheat fields, fishing, county fairs and so much more. We moved to the Oregon Coast a few years ago and our high temps here are usually between 65 and 70. I love it here, but do so miss warm summer nights.

  5. Yay! We finally got to see Tipper keeping the beat for the boys. And I must say you made them look better!!
    The main thing I look forward to in the summer….taking off all those darn clothes, shoes, socks….
    I hate keeping bundled up in the winter to keep warm.

  6. Hi Tipper,
    Always love to hear your dad, Paul and the others play and sing. Reminds me of summer afternoons on Grandpa’s porch when he and my uncle played “Dueling Banjos.”
    When I was a teen, I didn’t appreciate Grandpa’s bluegrass roots as much as I do now, but what sweet memories I have of him with his long agile fingers picking the banjo.

  7. The slapping screen door brought back such wonderful memories of summer. We saw fire flys last night as we sat on our screened porch and they too reminded me of catching them in a glass jar (no plastic then) as a child. You have a gorgeous view.
    Sam

  8. Tipper: I did enjoy the song in the kitchen, really neat. I think you might be surprised at the summer song I choose. It is by Kid Rock “All Summer Long”, yes Kid Rock. His best song and it is a country song. Check it out if you haven’t heard it.
    I love Summer and we will have so many things growing really soon.

  9. I sure enjoyed this one. I like summer, but I don’t do too well in the very hot weather. I guess that is because I’ve always lived somewhere cool. 80 is hot for me!

  10. In the deep south near the gulf coast, it is hot and muggy so much of the time. It makes it worth the effort of being up at the crack of dawn to enjoy the sweet sounds of birds twittering, and the leaves rustling. The Righteous Brothers song Summertime when the living is easy….” always comes to mind.
    Love your thoughts.

  11. I have two favorite summer memories. When I was very small, I loved sitting on the porch at night with all my family talking and my sister and I chasing lightning bugs and hearing the the chorus of bull frogs from the swamp across the road.
    My favorite adult memory was when we had a pontoon boat on Lake Chatuge. We’d go out late and stay until the sun set over the water making a shining shimmering path as far as we could see.

  12. Is that you playing the guitar to the right? Why weren’t you singing along? Your description of summer is perfect. I’d include blackberry stains on the fingers,Mom’s potato salad(yum!), ponytails, the pffft pfft pfttt daa daa daa daa noise of sprinklers.

  13. Hey Tipper,
    You just about covered it all. I always liked swimming in the creek until my lips turned blue and my skin shriveled up. Looks like a new musician in the picking in the kitchen segment today. Were you thumping out a bass line? Sure enjoyed that. Pappy

  14. The one thing that makes me think of summer that I didn’t see on your list was cheeseburgers and hot dogs on the BBQ grill while my son Tyler and my dog Sampson run around the back yard.

  15. I love all those same things about summer! The song that always reminds me of summer is Walking on Sunshine. It reminds me of going to the pool everyday with my friends when I was a teenager. Great times!

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