New Orleans in the summer

Its almost summer in the city again. For now, we're still leaving the doors open and the AC off at the shop for most of the day. Summer in New Orleans is an ordeal. We live in a humid, tropical climate. Life slows down to a stupor in such oppressive heat. The weak work ethic nearly collapses. The parties start later at night, when its less hot. Only the tourists and the hustlers stalk the streets of the French Quarter.

I like the summer. I like the smells and the sounds of summer. I like cool, loose clothing and the lethargic pace. The rhythm of the city slows and slows. The soundtrack of our lives is softer and more mellow. The jazz and the drinks are cool but not much else is.

I lived for a year (2004) in Alaska. I never lingered on their icy sidewalks. Here, I linger to smell a flower or admire a building. I linger to catch the flow of life in New Orleans in the summer.