52 Weeks — #28
Trying to escape the soup and slog of summer
We are, officially, in the soup and slog of summer.
This week’s lead photo, taken last month outside Duke Chapel in Durham, N.C., came on a sweltering but special day for our family. It was the christening for our second grandchild — Colin Michael Cook.
I took the photo as we walked toward the chapel, hoping as I raised my arms that it would not show the volume of internal spritzing that was taking place. It also made me wonder, yet again, about the counter-intuitive nature of wearing an undershirt in addition to a dress shirt and blazer on a 100-degree day.
But I digress.
Somehow, the 5-month-old stayed cool in the summer heat while his large family surrounded him to celebrate. Four of Colin’s five great-grandmothers — including my mom, Olivia, who came from Texas — were on hand for the christening for Nick and Conner’s first child. The group also included the entire family — Nick’s siblings Ben, Emma, and Kate as well as partners/spouses Colby and Matt and Marley, our other grandchild. The only person who could not make it from our side was Gaby, who could not get away from “Illinoise.”
We had a lovely time despite the heat, and everyone made it home safely, if not easily. Storms from the summer soup forced the cancellation of flights into New York City, which meant we had to change plans so Ben could get back home; he drove to D.C. with us and caught a late Sunday train. My mom made it back to Texas without issues, and managed to leave for another trip before Hurricane Beryl walloped the Texas Gulf Coast.
Here are the rest of the photos in this week’s edition, including another church with an architectural style similar to that of Duke Chapel. But as you can see, this one had been abandoned long ago.
Bonus: More Fireworks
Last weekend, soon after posting the previous “52 Weeks” and the story of my greatest firework shot, I photographed the annual 4th of July display in Wintergreen, Va. My wife and I went to the mountains to escape the oppressive heat that is suffocating the Northeast and large swaths of the U.S. (It was not suffocating, but still very hot there.)
Alas, we were so far from the display that I was still unable to surpass the New York firework, but here are a few that I liked.
You can look at the previous “52 Weeks” and the story by clicking on this link:
And here is the best way to get to all editions of the series.
Have a great week! See you next Saturday…