‘Tis the season for outside dining, otherwise known as “dining al fresco.” Not to be confused with “au natural” although as the temperatures climb, I notice some young people becoming more rather than less “natural.”
Summer around here can be too hot for a midday picnic, unless there is plenty of shade available – and a lake or a swimming pool helps, too. But mornings and evenings are usually perfect for spending outdoors, and I had been eating breakfast and dinner outside since that interminable rain stopped and our summer really began.
The birds are flocking to our fountain, which has been doubling as a birdbath and drinking fountain for the local fauna. Some birdies perch on the edge and quickly dart their beaks in for a drink. Others dive right in for the full bath treatment, shaking vigorously and making quite a splash with their little wings. Hummingbirds even rest for a moment to drink. And one dove likes to sit right on top, whether the fountain is bubbling water under her or is still. We thought it was cute when, after the birds finished their ablutions one morning, our next door neighbor’s cat chose the fountain for a drink of water, stretching to rest her little paws on the lower ledge and delicately lowering her head to lap the water. We were fascinated when a deer tread softly up the hill to the fountain at dusk to take a long cool drink. On the other hand, we were rather alarmed one night right before we turned in to glance out at the yard and see a very large skunk waddle over to check out the neighborhood watering hole.
My favorite summertime activity is not just sitting in my back yard but going to restaurants with patios, where I am spared meal preparation and cleanup, plus can enjoy watching the world go by. Last Thursday evening my book group went to Piatti’s in the Livery. Instead of a regular session of dissecting a book and author, we opted to go out to dinner since one of our members is moving to Southern California and we wanted to do something special. We hold our annual Christmas dinner at one of the big round tables by the fireplace so we wanted to check out the setting in the summertime. We requested a table outside and enjoyed a spot near a tinkling fountain. The patio heaters sat unused on this night, a reminder that many summer evenings are chilly, which was hard to believe on this particular night.
Then over the weekend we made a date for dinner with some friends, planning to enjoy more Danville patio dining. But this was the beginning of the heat wave and as evening approached and the temperature didn’t lower, we knew the main ingredient required for a peak dining experience: air conditioning. We opted for the casual setting of Xenia in Alamo. After dinner, we returned to their house to loll around – and in – their swimming pool. It was a perfect enjoying-a-backyard-swimming-pool scene – the only thing missing was the sun, which we did not miss at all.
As we drove the half-mile home near midnight we were amazed to see so many people out and about – walking, visiting with friends in front yards – far more than had been out that day. It reminded me of when we lived in the Mideast: There wasn’t much activity during the scorching days but the people and the marketplaces really came alive at night.
Hopefully our normal hot day/cool night summer weather is back by the time this comes out so we can return to sidewalk and patio eateries, enjoying food, friends and watching the world go by. So many restaurants, so little time! And it will be refreshing to sit outside again at home, with the birds, cats and the deer – and even the dreaded skunk visitor.
