Summer's Here

Just been to the library. Got myself two Stephen King books, one that I haven't read before and one classic. Just Before Sunset is a collection of stories. I have read some of them but not all. Looking forward to dipping into new King stuff, even though he definately has his off days now and again.

I also got a copy of The Regulators, since I appear to have lost mine. I love that book. I think it's because it's so incredibly rich in imagery. In a way SK goes overboard in the metaphores and the audio book version definately tones it down a bit. Still, if you're into metaphores, The Regulators is a rare treat. Just look at the way SK describes a hot day:

"Summer's here. Not just summer, either, not this year, but the apotheosis of summer, the avatar of summer, high green perfect central Ohio summer dead-smash in the middle of July, white sun glaring out of that fabled faded Levi's sky, the sound of kids hollering back and forth through the Bear Street Woods at the top of the hill, the tink! of Little League bats from the ballfield on the other side of the woods, the sound of power mowers, the sound of muscle-cars out on Highway 19, the sound of rollerblades on the cement sidewalks and smooth macadam of Poplar Street, the sound of radios — Cleveland Indians baseball (the rare day game) competing with Tina Turner belting out 'Nutbush City Limits', the one that goes Twenty-five is the speed limit, motorcycles not allowed in it' — and surrounding everything like an auditory edging of lace, the soothing, silky hiss of lawn sprinklers. Summer in Wentworth, Ohio, oh boy, can you dig it. Summer here on Poplar Street, which runs straight through the middle of that fabled faded American dream with the smell of hotdogs in the air and a few burst paper remains of Fourth of July firecrackers still lying here and there in the gutters. It's been a hot July, a perfect good old by God blue-ribbon jeezer of a July, no doubt about it, but if you want to know the truth, it's also been a dry July, with no water but the occasional flipped spray of a hose to stir those last shreds of Chinese paper from where they lie."

Can you describe a hot day in more detail? More vididly? The scene comes so alive in my mind everytime I read this and when I'm out walking on a hot summer day, I sometimes hear the "silky hiss of lawn sprinklers". This is what I aspire to. I want to be able to paint an image like this. Maybe someday...