Let’s all sing!

Blue skies
Smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies
Do I see

Bluebirds
Singing a song
Nothing but bluebirds
All day long
— from “Blue Skies” by Irving Berlin

Thank goodness the clouds finally cleared. When I came into work, I told the publisher that if we had had another cloudy day, I was going to contemplate doing something drastic to escape the deepening funk. Like many of you, these past few weeks have been a real drag on body and soul. The only consolation is that Hurricane Joaquin took a turn away from us.

Perhaps the next time such a weather front hovers, we should collectively concentrate our mental powers on cloud busting. For that matter, why we didn’t think to conjure rain when farmers needed it most beforehand?

***

As I am writing this column on Tuesday afternoon, across the street a young man is cutting grass at the ditch in front of the car dealership.

How I envy him.

I thought about offering the chance to trade places for the day, but then remembered that I haven’t cut grass in decades. What made me think I would suddenly know what to do now? Even where I live, my landlord does the gardening. That’s worth every penny of my rent knowing that someone else is willing to cut grass, trim hedges and blow, rake and bag leaves. Given my way, the grass would be allowed to grow tall enough so as to encourage wildlife in making a new home.

***

Speaking of the great outdoors, I’m hopeful that we can look forward to a vivid turn of colors in the leaves. My daily commute 58 presents the spectacle of this avenue of changing seasons. With fall comes the pumpkins, and that means the annual Boykins Pumpkinfest. I went last year and had a great time, and hope to attend this year’s wingding, which is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17.

Stephen H. Cowles is a staff writer at The Tidewater News. He thinks that Josephine Baker sang this song best. If you’re old enough to know who she was, feel free to contact him at 562-3187 or stephen.cowles@tidewaternews.com.