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August is a pretty conflicted month.
As I was in my neighborhood pharmacy, I couldn’t help but notice that all of summer merchandise was being steadily squeezed off the shelves by the back-toschool items – notebooks, pens, locker shelves and the like.
As a kid I would be actually excited as I was one of those nerd kids – now I’m a nerd senior citizen – who loved the process of picking out the right ring binder, the pens that flowed the best on a page and notebooks that would serve my purpose.
I still get lost in a store like Staples checking out pens, notebooks and other items. Other stores in which I get lost: hardware stores, farm supply stores and bookstores.
Now in my old age, August is the time to celebrate that final month or so before “normal” stumbles back into our lives. “Normal” means the end of vacations, warm weather, the growing season and for many the return to school and all that means to both kids and parents.
I have a summer bucket list which I hope I will finish up in August. The list includes the following:
Corn. I’ve not yet eaten any local corn and I have to rectify that. Local butter and sugar corn fresh from a farm can not be beat. A little butter and a little salt are all you need to enjoy corn from any number of farmstands.
Taking a dip. Now me in a swimsuit is a crime against humanity, but I crave the opportunity of going to the Cape, picking a beach and swimming and floating in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s very relaxing to me.
Flea markets. I used to regularly go to the Route 47 flea market in Hadley, MA, to check out the treasures there. And over the years I’ve certainly found some remarkable and obscure items. Want arcane? I found a full-color book that Monogram Studios sent to theater owners in the mid-1930s detailing their movies that year. I love it.
Road trip with my buddies. I have two friends, one of whom is an expert on New England history and folklore and we have the best road trips visiting places he has discovered, finding good places to eat and punctuating the trip with drinks. I’m planning to organize one of those for August.
Every month, Go Local offers suggestions to make your month better and this one is no different.
Take a look at The Final Countdown for seven refreshing drink offerings. That’s a road trip right there!
The feature about Macie’s Place in Somers, CT, is a guest destination for a family wanted to escape the August heat. Go Local Picks has three great events, all of which could be a part of a local road trip.
Don’t let August slip by. Enjoy the many events offered in Western New England before “normal” sets in.
- G. Michael Dobbs, Managing Editor
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