Dadvice Weekly #55 / Being in Season
Dadvice Weekly - #55
There is a stretch of August when our kitchen counter is constantly loaded with produce. Right now it’s holding two cantaloupes (it was four!), a watermelon ready to cut, and a mound of Palisade peaches that will not survive the week.
When people talk about why they love living in Colorado, you’ll often hear about the mountains and trails, the sunshine and dry air, and those things are all great, truly. But I also believe that the best things about this state are the ones not many brag about, and they all happen to be seasonal. Rocky Ford cantaloupe, in season, is the single thing I look forward to most every summer. If you say you’re not a cantaloupe person, I get it, I wasn’t either before I tasted a Rocky Ford melon, grown only in the eastern plains of Colorado. Palisade peaches, same thing. You get them at a roadside stand or at Smith Farms off of 24 and they are always great, especially the discounted soon-to-expire ones. When we aren’t slicing them up, we eat them over the sink, messy and with no shame.
Wild sunflowers start popping up in the Colorado prairielands and around town in late July along 24 and in the east of town, out where the city flattens into grassland. By August, whole stretches of ditch and fenceline have gone yellow with them. They’re smaller and scrappier than sunflowers you’d see in a flower shop, leaning whichever way the last storm pushed them. In a few weeks they’ll fade back into the grass, much like summer has a tendency to fade into fond memory as crisp fall air hits us in October.
The concept of being “in season” is interesting when you think about it. It means the thing you love so much can’t be stockpiled or bought out of season at any price. You either pay attention in August or you miss it until next year. When it’s gone, it’s gone. It teaches patience, that the nasty winter cantaloupe at the big box store isn’t worth it. The waiting makes the first taste in the summer that much sweeter. It pushes me to enjoy the late summer evenings and to stay present.
So consider this your notice: Find a roadside stand this week, no matter where you’re at. Buy something in season. Pick something that smells nice. Grab a peach and let the hot summer sun hit your face and be grateful. -KC
Peach Dumpling Recipe
Easy recipe, fun to make with kids. Peaches, crescent roll dough, cinnamon, and butter for an easy summer dessert.
Google/Gmail AI Inbox
I have a Google one subscription (my gmail account ran out of space), so I recently started getting notifications about Gmail’s AI Inbox summary. It’s available to anyone with a paid Google subscription with an AI tier. I have to say, I find it really helpful. It summarizes a to-do list based on what’s pending in my inbox, creates a list of things to catch up on, and a summary of inbound and outbound mail for the day.
Fish Spatulas
Fish spatulas have been getting a lot of action in our house lately. I’m new to the game, but we’re finding they are great for daily use in the kitchen - for flipping bacon and pancakes in the morning, toasting a grilled cheese for lunch, or flipping fish for dinner. They’re excellent for getting completely underneath an omlette so it can flip without breaking too. This is a decent entry-level one that we’re using right now. It’s a little flimsy, but we wanted to try one out before committing to something more expensive.
Just for Dad: EPAuto 1/2-inch Drive Click Torque Wrench, 10-150 ft/lb
Not sure how long this deal will last, but if you’re looking to start building up basic home auto tools, this is a great price for a 1/2 in drive torque wrench. I own this exact wrench and have found it to be reliable and easy to use for break and suspension jobs. I paid full price for mine ($55). At $31, this is a steal. -KC
Dadvice Weekly is Kyle and Skyler—two friends in their thirties, living in Colorado, settling into fatherhood and trying to stay sane. Every Tuesday we share what’s working in our homes: gear we use, routines we’ve tested, ideas we’re trying. It could be a recipe, a product that solved a problem, or just what we’re thinking about as dads.
If you have a tip, tried something we mentioned, or just want to say hi, reply to this email or message us on Substack. We read everything, and we’re always looking for what works. Glad you’re here.
We just “happened” to read Ecclesiastes 3 this morning, all about seasons. Also, you need to watch Seinfeld, season two, episode one (on Netflix) about cantaloupes.