Daisy Weather

June 23, 1965

Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. It's summer and it's hot! This morning Aunt Love called it daisy weather. Now if you know Aunt Love, that probably surprises you. She isn't the type you would ever bring a bunch of daisies to from the field. If I did, she'd just tell me to make sure I checked for ticks after running around out there in the weeds. But then she up and says it's daisy weather. 

My Mama Mae would have loved me picking daisies for her and Miss Sally goes and puts them right in a vase like I just brought them from the flower shop when I bring her in some from the field. But when I think about it, I wonder if I ever picked any daisies for Aunt Love. Or any flowers. 

Aunt Love and I have a prickly relationship. She puts up with me and I put up with her. We love each other. We have to. We're family, but she's never liked me much. She's always quoting Scripture at me to try to make me act the way she thinks a preacher's daughter should act. She must have half the Bible memorized. For sure, she'd be able to quote that one about how the Lord takes care of the flowers of the field and dresses them in beauty. 

Then there are her rosebushes. Dad says she has a green thumb when it comes to roses. Sometimes she cuts a rose or two to give to somebody at church or when Dad is going to visit the sick. And she puts one on the table in the living room now and again, but she says she likes them best growing on the bush brightening up the outdoors. So could be I'm wrong about her and flowers. Maybe it isn't weird at all for her to say something about daisy weather.    

So what is daisy weather? Hot. That's what. It's ninety degrees in the shade today. Hot! Wading in the creek or dumping a bucket of water on your head kind of day. Wilt the sunflowers in the garden kind of day. Zeb digging a dog hole under the lilac bush kind of day. He's figured out if he wants to keep living around here, he better stay out of Aunt Love's rose beds. Riding with Wes on his motorcycle to keep the wind blowing kind of day. 

Dad says it's too early to be this hot, but summer showed up on the calendar a few days ago. We had the longest day of the year. This day's only a few minutes shorter and the sun's going down. Maybe, just maybe I'll go pick a few daisies. A person ought to have daisies in a vase on the table if it's daisy weather. Aunt Love might even think so.

What do you think makes it daisy weather? 

You can read more about Aunt Love and me in the Heart of Hollyhill books. Scent of Lilacs is still a free download, whatever that means. Something from the future I guess.