The season of seasons ~ July 18, 2002

David Heiller

My column last week on poison ivy brought a few comments. First Bob Dubois of Askov called to say that he uses Mylanta on poison ivy to great effect. He can also take a slug of it after he reads the Askov American.

Phil Diers of Willow River swears by Fels Naptha as a treatment for poison ivy. He found a few dusty bars of it, vintage 1970, at the Willow River Mercantile, and washed with it, and it seemed to keep the P.I. at bay. Plus it gave Phil a much needed scrubbing.

Just kidding, Phil!

Harold Blatz of Willow River told me that he used bleach on some poison ivy. It worked one time, and didn’t work another time, but it sure whitened his legs.

My poison ivy discussion got me to thinking that poison ivy season is just one of many mini-seasons of summer.

There is also mosquito season, and wood tick season, and sun burn season, all of which fall on the same side of the scale as P.I. season.

But other mini-seasons are much more pleasant.

Biking season, always one of my favs!

Bike ride season has emerged at our house. Almost every night Cindy and I get on our bikes and take a ride down the gravel road. Our two dogs run beside us, tongues dragging and tails wagging. We often see a deer or two. When we meet a vehicle, which isn’t often, the driver usually slows way down and gives us a friendly wave.

The bike ride is a great time for visiting, and seeing the neighborhood and just riding quietly and soaking up the evening.

Pond season is here too. We have a pond below the garden. It’s about 100 feet long by 30 feet wide, and is eight feet deep.

David in the too-cold-for-Cindy pond!

The water is usually cold and clean, except during dry spells when it gets a little stagnant. This summer it has been spring fresh, due to heavy rains.

When the weather got real hot a couple weeks ago, and I get real hot from working in the garden, I took off my shirt and shoes and waded into the pond.

Bliss. Nirvana. Heaven. Those are just a few mild words to describe the feeling of the pond on that hot summer day.

It’s funny, we’ve had the pond for about 10 years, and the kids have always liked to swim in it, but I’ve turned up my nose at it until this summer. But now that I’ve discovered pond season, I can’t wait for those 80 degree days, so that I can work up a sweat and wade into the water.

The water temperature in the pond is temperamental. The top layer is warm, then about a foot below it is a colder layer, and a couple feet below that is Lake Superior. The warm layer often drifts away, then comes back again.

Malika and a produce bouquet,
1992-ish. One of summer's
 finest seasons.

Minnows brush against my body in the pond, and sometimes nibble at a mole on my back. No big deal. Sometimes my daughter Malika, 17, comes in with me, and we shiver and laugh together.

“Do you think there are snapping turtles in here?” she asked me on Sunday.

“I think I’m standing on one right now,” I answered. She didn’t believe me, but the thought is still in the back of our minds, because a couple years ago we caught a huge snapper in our yard.

The garden produces its own seasons. Strawberry season is here now. Raspberry and blueberry seasons are coming on. Then comes the best one of all, tomato season.

Fishing season. Cabin season. Vacation season. The list is endless.

You probably have your own. I hope you can enjoy them, because as we all know, they don’t last long around here.