Meat & Peaches!

Summer Vacation!
Inga finished her sophomore year at the U of Oregon, got a night's sleep, then up early and found her way to Portland where she caught Southwest Airlines for an indirect flight back to Dallas.

In preparation for her arrival, her mother asked, "What would you like once you arrive home?"  The quick and resounding response was, "Meat and peaches!" - though not necessarily minced and mashed into a single serving, just two separate tastes of home. 
On the downside, the Dean at the U did not schedule final exams to coincide with the peak of the Texas peach harvest, so she will have to eat only cobbler and pie created from the remains of our previous week's harvest.  No fresh peaches off the tree for you latecomer! 
On the upside, her arrival did coincide with one of our family's most anticipated social events of the year, Mark Rice's sometimes-almost-usually annual smokeout.  Mark Rice, and his wife Kathy (our friends and my accountants) will throw an authentic, smoked meat extravaganza when the right mood and a properly clear calendar cosmically intersect.  This very alignment of gastronomical juices and astrological time/space just happened to occur the day after Inga's return to town, more than fulfilling her wish for "meat" (which is to be understood as Texas Barbecue).  Mr. Rice is the serious connoisseur of smoked meats, and the culinary results that come from his methods provide him with justifiable pride and upon which rest much of his self esteem.  Personally, I have been known to avoid showering above the neck for 3 days straight after the Smokeout in order to keep from rinsing the subtle savors and flavors from my mustache.  We did enjoy his wines and his barbecue, while I contributed fresh backed rolls and beans.

Once Inga's plane landed and as she walked out of the Love Field Terminal toward our parked car, she was nearly instantaneously vaporized as she felt the Texas heat.  "I had forgotten how hot air could be!" she gasped as she plucker her melted shoes from the pavement.  It was a gray dawn with light rain and 55 degrees when she left Portland. Her stint at home has been mostly relaxed and uneventful.  A few nights out with old high school friends, keeping in touch with others via electronic devices and their key pads, a few excursions here and about, hanging out with the dog in A/C comfort and feeding the tortoises in the morning.  She was home to watch the Dallas Mavericks win the basketball championship and take in a Rangers baseball game in honor of her 20th birthday.  She cooked a dinner of pulled pork and has enjoyed a couple of hearty steak meals off the grill.

Her return ticket will take her back on July 16, where she has a summer math class waiting for her.  She was going to audition for a roll in Eugene's Shakespeare in the Park performance, but quadratic equations represent a higher calling at this stage in her career.

Meat and peaches have had their time.  Then is back to tofu and waffles.