The Boy From Texas

It was May,2016 and a young man was coming to visit. He was from Texas and leaving behind 100* weather.  Much to his surprise, we had the same temperatures rising  every day. The young boy, as we called him, since he was never out of Texas. Long Island was going to be a great adventure for him. As well as an adventure for us. He stayed with a family in Westhampton Beach. A family of three young boys, a father that was just one of the best. The mother kept them all together, worked full time, shopped, cooked and did some laundry. Sports was the game of the summer and traveling the island was an adventure in itself. He was so excited to see the ocean, the great green landscapes and beautiful towns. Everything was so different from his Texas, including the animals and plants. He was so considerate of others and had wonderful manners. A trait to be admired. A towering 6ft plus made him a gentle giant. While we all sweated from the heat, he felt right at home.  Lucky for him one of the older boys loved to run and work out at the gym.  After which a cool dip in the ocean or in the hot tub, which was now a cool tub, felt wonderful. The families grandpa made an outside shower which was a great place for big people to use. After dinner other boys would come over and everyone pilled into the garden gazebo to watch TV and eat. It seemed all they did was eat, and eat and eat. Mom made it her job to keep the refrigerator full. Strawberry and vanilla ice cream was a must. Cool water and drinks was another must.  On of the first visits he made with the family was to Southampton. After that they went to Sag Harbor. What an array of beautiful boats lined the docks. Great ice cream shops were a definite stop.  A  mango coconut topped with kiwi was cool and refreshing. Most of the boys chose strawberry or vanilla topped with everything. No weight watchers here. The whaling museum offered lots of information for the travelers and a lots of picture taking.  The next day was a trip to “The End” and the lighthouse. That day it was cold and windy, and all had to wear coats and hats. At dusk the sky opened its beautiful pallet of colors. Orange, pink,blue and purple. The ocean sparkled and the young traveler enjoyed his gift of sky and sea. He was sad to leave this beautiful sight but his empty stomach won out. The town offered lots of restaurants but BBQ and fries won out. “Who could argue with that” It was a Texas delight and it reminded him of home. The long ride home put everyone to sleep. When they woke, ice cream was asked for again, but a little hard to find at 11:30pm.  7-11 had some offerings in the ice cream department. So we stopped. Tomorrow would take everyone out to Greenport and Shelter Island. Lots of sailing ships, yachts and small boats lined the docks. A tour of the pirate ship gave everyone information on pirates and bootleg spirits. One of the days in Greenport was spent at a summer house where there was boating and digging for clams. The clams were then steamed and eaten.  So fresh and delicious. His “bucket list” still had a few things left to do. Eating lots of pastries and cake from the Westhampton Beach Bakery was the next stop. The town offered late night shopping and music in several places. Italian food was a new thing for the Texas boy. Ziti, lasagna and  fresh mozzarella with tomato,basil and balsamic was now added to his list. This summer was filled with memories of great friends, beaches, food and oh yes baseball. This week would mark the end of college baseball for his team The Aviators. Trey would be leaving soon for his hometown in Texas.