Aunt Flora's and A Country Summer Night

Back Row: Joe McCain, James Harper, Flora Harper McCain, Don McCain

Front Row: Barbara Harper, Bob McCain, Terry McCain and Sherrill McCain 

I remember sitting out on Aunt Flora’s front porch, listening to Flora, Dad and their siblings talking and laughing. This was her house at the end of a long sandy driveway, a rustic black wood house. It would be dark as we sat there, with an occasional cigarette glow, and then the smell as they blew out the smoke.  Sometimes I would follow the path of Flora’s red cigarette tip as she used her hand while talking.  I remember Daddy teasing her that if she sat on her hands she wouldn’t be able to talk.  In the background the sound of the katydids let us know it was summer.  After we would go to bed, the windows were left open as we didn’t have air conditioning, the sound of the katydids could be heard.  It was a safe sound, just knowing they were out there, keeping watch. They would lull us to sleep.