A Small Reminder

For the Long, Hot Summer Days

Bonita Jewel, MFA
1 min readJul 7, 2023

It is Sunday morning, and although the current temperature is not yet 90 degrees, the forecast is 110 degrees by late afternoon here in California’s Central Valley.

Yesterday was also supposed to reach 110 but fell a couple of degrees shy. Funnily enough, this heat wave corresponds with a stretch of volunteering at an outdoor fireworks stand. Thankfully, my husband set up a portable swamp cooler there, dropping the temperature by a good ten degrees or so.

I might have said before that the summer and I have a tenuous relationship; I’m ready for autumn after a couple of days above 100 degrees, but summer likes to hang around until mid to late October.

So, on days like this, it helps me to remember that there are places where the breeze is cool and the river is running.

Earlier this week, we spent a couple of days in the hills not too far from here. My mom rented a cabin near Dinkey Creek and the no-longer-kids and I enjoyed some time near the rushing creek and towering pines.

So, as a reminder for you and me today, here is a short clip of Dinkey Creek, more river than creek, rushing with icy water, snowmelt from the Sierras.

While we may be in various places today, in various weathers …

That creek is frothing and bubbling, rainbow trout are braving the rapids, and just near the fisherman’s bridge ladybugs by the hundreds are flittering, heading somewhere magical.

For the moment, just enjoying the view.

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Bonita Jewel, MFA
Bonita Jewel, MFA

Written by Bonita Jewel, MFA

Word Weaver. Story Seeker. Editor. Lifelong Learner.

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