July always starts with a bang! Fireworks, sizzlin’ temperatures, beef burgers and hot dogs fresh off the grill, a slice of ice-cold watermelon, swimming at the lake, a funnel cake at the county fair. Lots of summer treats to beat the heat. This is truly a great summer to enjoy everything that we have been yearning for the last several months.
Being the music buff I am, I realized that I enjoy most of the songs that have the word “summer” in the title. One of my favorite summertime songs has the lyrics “in the summertime when the weather is high you can stretch right up and touch the sky.” I must’ve been playing that song in my mind when I recently attended a youth baseball game on a warm summer evening. As one of the teams took the field between innings, I glanced at the flagpole located near the scoreboard. As a gentle breeze began to blow, I could see the fabric of Old Glory as it stretched unfurled in the summer sky. That flag as it waved so stately and steadfast against a background of blue heaven was truly a beautiful sight. I began to think that this is a view replicated all over America each and every day of the year. That grand old flag proudly flies at service organizations, courthouses, schools, and from floats and bumpers of pickup trucks in parades everywhere in this country. The Stars and Stripes as it proudly flies in the summer breeze emboldens my pride in our history, our independence, our freedom, and our people. God bless America!
As the summer continues, remember to be energy conscious using electrical appliances wisely during peak high temperatures.
Terry Hobbs is the board president for Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. He is also a member of Western Cooperative Electric’s Board of Trustees in WaKeeney.