SummerTimeLand

In SummerTimeLand you have vine-ripened, perfect watermelons and endless rows of soft-shell crabs on ice. It's a great place to visit, but it takes a certain type of person to live here. Asbestos-based blood helps.


It doesn't take a Native Texan to know what's in store when the mercury heads north of 100 degrees in June. Summer heat down here is a fact of life, but temperatures over 105 before August do not bode well. 109 at Austin Bergstrom International Airport is beyond ridiculous -- it's giant-squid scary.

The five months of Summer drive my book hunting activities indoors; instead of driving around checking my traps, I dig through my storage boxes looking for neglected uncataloged gems from days past.

I have a closet whose alchemy resembles a wine cellar -- long-stored items emerge from the darkness, finally reaching their prime, releasing a sweet bouquet and the perfect mixture of tannins. There's also a good percentage that ends up as vinegar.