Pride Saturday in Winston-Salem

The long week of rain and showers and mist and grey finally stepped aside last Friday afternoon to allow a short run of sun and a boost in the heavy feel of humidity, and Sumner and I went out into it for a walk of just over three miles. His panting, though, meant a couple of sit-down breaks but we were unhurried and it was just nice to be outside. Saturday morning was our first time out on the driveway for morning coffee in almost a week, even though it was initially cool and cloud-covered. We had just long enough for a cup before the arrival of my high school classmate Shelia, a noted academic and upper level university research administrator, alumnus of Wake Forest University, and proud mom taking her daughter for a college tour.

Activities surrounding the Winston-Salem Pride Festival brought a morning closure to Spring Street, with the parade checkin just up from the house, so Shelia and I had oatmeal in the kitchen instead of venturing out to a breakfast spot. It was a fine visit and she was not gone long before it was time to greet Amy and Kristen and Mookie as they pulled into the driveway for parking convenient to the Pride events they were heading to. Sumner and I stayed close to home and he enjoyed happy interactions with the wide-ranging strangers passing by who were almost as glad to see him.

Thank goodness the weather broke late the previous afternoon so I could get the yard mowed before the influx of passersby, given how the house does seem to stand out and catch the eye of many. I like the idea of putting my best foot forward. Timing is everything, too, with the daylilies and astra blue balloon flowers and pansies and, now, the new lilies all blooming gloriously, with that luscious lawn well watered by so very much rain of late. The mix of clouds and sun, still humidity and soothing breezes, quiet solitude and gaggles of pedestrians…the weather’s unpredictability kept an elevated edge to the feel of the day, the uncertainty of when it might turn pushing the happy enjoyment of right now so that none might be guilty of squandering opportunity.

A brief surprise visit occurred near the end of the afternoon, when the day at last committed to be mostly sunny. It was Ken, my fellow PhD chum from the University of Virginia, whose family is still here in Winston-Salem. Has it been a decade since he came by here? We did a quick bit of catching up before he dashed off to his destination.

By evening, Sumner and I headed out for our evening walk, clocking in just a nudge past 3.5 miles, enough that we realized it was warmer than we first thought. But it was such a nice night that, at 10 pm, he still wanted to lie on the grass of the front yard and watch the activity of our well-situated street. Eventually, I was able to talk him into bedtime, to which we both eagerly surrendered. It was a fine first Saturday helping roll us into official summer.