At work this morning I ran into a colleague in the bathroom and in one of those 30 second conversations he mentioned, “your big season is starting soon”! I had to pause for a moment before I responded with a nod and sort of a blank ah huh. It was only when in the next sentence that he said "we will be out in your neck of the woods next weekend", that it registered. Tourist season and he is a big Tanglewood fan.

It has been so busy with graduation and end of the year school and work and other activities of life that quite honestly I might totally miss tourist season. There are clearly more people around mostly from the city and some are on the arrogant and demanding side but fortunately they are in the minority I just blow them off. But I guess the busy season has less to do with the tourists as it does with it being summer in this beautiful place.

On the night of a Tanglewood concert I have to remember to hop on the back roads to get home from work or I'll get stuck in the line of cars going basically the same way as me, but we hold the secret of familiarity with where to go and not go and travel the near vacant roads. Then there is remembering that getting to the library in the center of town is difficult on Saturday afternoon because the boutique shoppers are out and especially if there is a crafts fair in the park then parking is sparse. And of course I have two kids who have jobs connected with tourism, so thank you. And there are more cultural offerings if you have the time and money to partake.



But for me the busy season is what this person would call "life" at home. Having a big yard is beautiful except when you have a push mower and it needs mowing every week, avoiding these beautiful daisies that are spreading in the yard.[not complaining, just speaking fact], the house needs painting more often because of the winter winds and weather that rush up the beautiful mountain valley. The deer ticks are out in strong force this year, catching rides on the turkeys and other wild life that are frequently traveling through the yard day and night. The ridge line takes on different look in the morning mists and against the hayfield and wet lands.



Summer in the Berkshires is like summer in so many other places. I guess the difference is that we have some very special "outdoors" and a slightly colder temperature. Sure there is the BSO across town and Shakespeare and Company and other theater productions a couple miles away, but this is also home and as with all folks who live in tourist areas we have every day chores and things to do, just like the folks who come here to enjoy.