Books by Eric Douglas

Thriller fiction | Non-fiction: Adventure with a Purpose

  • Home
  • Mike Scott Thrillers
    • Held Hostage: Search for the Juncal
    • Water Crisis: Day Zero
    • Turks and Chaos: Hostile Waters
    • The 3rd Key: Sharks in the Water
    • Oil and Water: Crash in Curacao
    • Return to Cayman: Paradise Held Hostage
    • Heart of the Maya: Murder for the Gods
    • Wreck of the Huron: Cuban Secrets
    • Guardians’ Keep: Mystery below the Adriatic
    • Flooding Hollywood: Fanatics at the Dam
    • Cayman Cowboys: Reefs Under Pressure
  • Withrow Key
    • Lyin’ Fish
    • Tales from Withrow Key
  • Thriller Audiobooks
    • Cayman Cowboys: Reefs Under Pressure
    • Oil and Water: Crash in Curacao
    • Return to Cayman: Paradise Held Hostage
    • Turks and Chaos: Hostile Waters
    • Lyin’ Fish
  • Agent AJ West
  • About the Author
    • Scuba diving thrillers!
    • Six Questions with Eric Douglas
    • Publicity and Interviews
  • Nonfiction
    • For Cheap Lobster
    • Heart Survivor: Recovery After Heart Surgery
    • Oral History
      • Batter Up!
      • Memories of the Valley
      • WV Voices of War / Common Valor
      • Capturing Memories: How to Record Oral Histories
    • Dive-abled: The Leo Morales Story
    • Keep on, Keepin’ On: A Breast Cancer Story
    • WV Voices of War / Common Valor
    • Russia: The New Age
    • Scuba Diving Safety
  • Free Short Fiction
  • Collections
    • Mike Scott Box Set 3 (Books 7-10)
    • Mike Scott Box-Set 4-6
    • Mike Scott Box-Set 1-3
    • Tales from Withrow Key
    • Sea Turtle Rescue and Other Stories
    • River Town
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Honeysuckle in the air

Honeysuckle in the air

May 21, 2012 By Eric Douglas

I was driving home with the windows down, enjoying the amazing weather, and started smiling. There was the smell of summer. Even going 70 miles an hour, I could still smell it.

My brother used to say that summer smelled like gasoline and fresh-cut grass (slightly ironic for someone who hated cutting grass). But this was sweeter. Honeysuckle. It was everywhere and the scent was strong. For me, that is the scent of summertime. It was almost overwhelming in spots—just an amazing sweetness surrounding me.
honeysuckle.jpgI remember, as a kid, thinking that the nectar inside honeysuckle flowers should taste like honey. I would pull the stamen from the flower and there would be a drop of the nectar, sparkling in the sun. I would lick it off and pretend it tasted like something. I remember being disappointed. I’m sure it is significant for a hummingbird or a bee, but just didn’t amount to much for a growing boy.
Another sign that summer is here are the lightning bugs (calling them fireflies is acceptable too, but I grew up calling them lightning bugs). They are out and glowing in the trees after dark. Another childhood memory involved running through the yards, chasing them down and catching them in a mason jar. We would take a nail and poke holes in the metal lid to give the insect air to breath. If we were feeling extra generous, we would throw some grass in there, too. I never had one, but I seem to remember some of the kids having a “ring” that you could wear on your finger and attach the bug’s abdomen to it. It would stay lit and glow on your finger. Obviously, it didn’t work out so well for the lightning bug.
 Late spring and early fall are my favorite times of the year. High summer is great, if you’re up to your nose in water (which I do as much as I can), but this time of year is perfect. The humidity isn’t stifling yet. The days are hot and the evenings are warm enough to stay outside and just “be”. I love to sit outside and stare at trees in the evening, unwinding and distressing. And with the gentle evening breeze, you can smell the honeysuckle. If you look up in the trees, you’ll see lightning bugs. That says summer to me as much as anything else.
If you don’t live in a place where honeysuckle grows wild, I’m sorry for you. You’re missing one of the great scents of summer. If you live too close to the city and there aren’t any lightning bugs around, ditto.
If you’re looking for some grander conclusion in this, there really isn’t one. Smelling the honeysuckle just made me happy and I wanted to share it. Get out and enjoy the world around you. Turn off the television. Unplug the computer. Roll down your car windows. Get outside and breathe. You’ll be glad you did.
Now, it’s time to head back out to the patio.
See ya.

.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Related

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Get a free, exclusive short story!

When you sign up, you can download a free Mike Scott short story collection. Theses three stories are only available to members of the mailing list. Don’t worry, we won’t spam you or sell your email address. We hate that, too.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

How I got into diving!

https://youtu.be/gKhw-4tORAM

Real Thugs: A Cult of Murder — Small groups of travelers have disappeared all over the mid-Atlantic without a trace. When bodies turn up with what appear to be ritual markings, FBI Agent AJ West is on the hunt for what might be a serial killer. Or something even more sinister. It’s a race against […]

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

View Book

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • Going to the circus! February 20, 2023
  • Cayman Cowboys is now an Audiobook! November 24, 2020
  • Halloween 2020 – as if reality wasn’t scary enough October 30, 2020
  • Real Trick and What Noise? October 30, 2020
  • Local Diving — Summersville Lake September 21, 2020

Blog posts, by category

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 ·

 

Loading Comments...