Splendor In The Grass, First Summer BBQ and Buddy’s Approval

So, not too long ago, I wrote a short story titled “Springtime, Grass Seed and Drinks” in which I regaled everyone with my (and now my good pal “Buddy’s”) obsession with the long time honored tradition of the neighborhood lawn wars. You know what I am talking about, that never ending quest to have the most perfect lawn on the block. That feeling of pride while watching both neighbors and strangers alike slow down while walking or driving to take a gander  at what can only be described as lawn perfection.

As you may recall from my earlier post, my lawn was anything but that when we left the doldrums of winter and entered a rather chilly springtime this year. My lawn was a mess. Dead patches, winter mold, weeds and what looked to be a grueling arduous task of lawn work ahead of me. This truly is the definition of the “love hate relationship.”

So as an update to the previous story you can see from the picture above, all of the work paid off. I have to hand it to Buddy, as his picture encapsulates everything that can be said about the perfect lawn and what it means to have a cool lush carpet cooling your belly on a hot day. (This picture was taken June 1st by the way – a very, very hot day.) Ah, if we humans could be so lucky to just be able to pick a spot and stretch out in the shade or roll around getting that perfect spot scratched. But since we are not canines, we need to find a different form escape from the summer heat. I don’t know about you, but for me there is nothing like combining barbecuing, friends and excellent cocktails at the end of a scorching day. It’s around 7 PM, the high heat is subsiding and that gentle breeze is starting to blow. Perfect time for that cocktail. After all, what’s the point of firing up the grill if you can’t share a great drink and conversation with a friend or two? So, today I felt the best “group therapy” would come in the form of a Long Island Ice Tea. Here is the recipe that I used:

Long Island Ice Tea

What’s In It

½ oz. vodka

½ oz. gin

½ oz. rum

½ oz. tequila

½ oz. triple sec

½ oz. fresh lemon juice

½ oz. simple syrup

3 oz. cola

1 lemon slice, to garnish

How to Make it

Combine the vodka, gin, rum, tequila, triple sec, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Stir until well chilled and strain into a chilled cocktail glass filled with ice. Add the cola and garnish with lemon slice to serve.

So the long and short of it is that although the lawn looks great now, there are sure to be a number of challenges that Buddy and I will face this year in the effort to maintain our title as lawn kings. After all, we have high summer heat, grubs, digging animals like skunks and raccoons as well as fungus’s and blights to look forward to. Well, as long as we have friends and occasional drinks, I am sure that we will be up to the challenge. We’ll keep you posted.

As always, we would love to hear your stories and any comments regarding our posts.

Best,

MetroWestWines.com

As an avid gardener and a person who likes a variety of drinks, please follow our ever expanding drink menu on Facebook which can be found at facebook.com/metrowestwines.

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