As I was meandering over to the bakery one morning to get my fix of long johns, the lyrics from Neil Diamond’s “Brother Loves Traveling Salvation Show” played in my mind. Specifically the words “Hot August night and the leaves hanging down and the grass on the ground smelling sweet.”

What happened to our hot summer nights? What happened to the grass smelling sweet? It is cold and the grass is almost brown and the weather smells of cool, fall nights. We will have to change the lyrics this year to “cool August nights and the leaves falling down and the grass looking brown.”

What do you think about when you hear the term “hot August night” or even “hot summer nights?” If you Google “hot August nights” besides Neal Diamond’s name you will find Hot August Nights celebrations such as the one celebrated in Reno, Nev. They advertise their Hot August Nights celebration with this invitation: shine your Chevy, detail your deuce coupe and hustle your hot rod over to Reno and Sparks for a celebration of a night of rock ’n’ roll. If you Google hot summer night you will also find celebrations such as the Vail Valley Foundations Bud Light Hot Summer Nights. Hot Summer Nights at the Playboy Mansion is a charity organization that benefits the United Breast Cancer Foundation.

Taking the word hot out of hot summer nights just does not have the same meaning. I was actually missing our hot, 90 degree summer nights. I must admit though when I think of hot summer nights I do think of hot rods, corn fields at night, star gazing, the gravel pit and cruising around with the windows down and the music up. I also think of the people that shared my life during those “hot summer nights.”

I continued on my journey and savored my long john and journeyed back to my desk at the office. I found myself looking at the rain and longing for those hot summer nights again. Hot, meaning 90 degrees and hot meaning having fun, enjoying life and being carefree.

Adding the word hot always seems to make something more enticing. What do you think of when you read these words: hot videos, hot jobs, hot lyrics, hot games, hot deals, hot topics, hot blooded? If these were not described as hot would you be as interested in these items? Or does the word hot entice you to investigate? Don’t forget about hot pants, the fad of the 70s. I was talking about fashion. Take your mind away from that other thought.

I suspect many teenagers are enjoying hot August nights even when the nights are cool. My wish for them is to never stop enjoying those hot August nights. I know this generation’s hot August nights are probably different from my generation. I can’t imagine why we grew up and quit living those hot August nights. Maybe some of you haven’t. Good for you.

So crank down the windows, crank up the music, look at the stars, visit a gravel pit and hang out with your friends doing meaningless things. Just be careful if you revisit those days. Sneaking out of the house under the watchful eyes of your adult children and neighbors may be difficult.

Also policemen aren’t as understanding as they were in the olden days. It might be difficult to make them understand that adults will just be adults and they probably will tell your kids.

And if we older ones decide to take a dip in the gravel pit in the dark it might be wise for us to wear clothes so we don’t scare anyone that might find us. We can’t move as fast to run away. It is also harder to hide in cornfields because they plant the rows closer. Make sure if you are going to make a dash for the cornfield you have a compass to find your way out in the morning.

Oh, and if you are cruising with someone else don’t forget to give them gas money. Gas is expensive.

But other then that have a hot August night with no worries except the police, the neighbors, adult kids, the cornfield, clothes, and gas. Oh and did I mention the nice home my kids have found for me with pretty white bars on the window after my latest Hot August Night escape?

Wells resident Julie Seedorf’s column appears every Monday. Send e-mail to her at thecolumn@bevcomm.net or visit her blog at www.justalittlefluff.blogspot.com.Listen to KBEW AM radio 1:30 p.m. Sundays for “Something About Nothing.”