This time of year, when the heat gets bad, I retreat deep into my imagination to a place with a slight breeze, no metrics to meet and every friend has a bottle opener hanging from the keychain on his belt. In the daydream, the family and I and some friends have found a perfect patch of shade to drop our blanket, bags, and coolers. We each find a spot that suits us best to sit, the base of a tree, a corner of the blanket, a folding chair, a loved one’s lap.

A couple of the dudes are tossing a football back and forth a little further out in the field, a mix of wildflowers and field grasses obscuring their TOMS, and the ball when someone fumbles a catch.

When the ladies are finished assembling a delicious combination of Kavli crackers, goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and spicy olive snacks, we all crowd in for our share. I open the cooler – and that’s when we all fall into a hearty round of “Fun With Regional Dialect”. It goes like this…

“Hey! Moatsie! If you idn’t jeeust too busy over thur, whah don’ you toss me wunna demice cold bears!”

then,

“Gimme a sec an’ ahl doit they’re so gull dern fridgid.”

so,

“Fahnen. Whudever. Wish yoo’d kweeit.”

I hope you all enjoy this drawing today.

Bryan