It is the perfect hothouse for lunacy. The summertime snap begins in innocuous, even pleasant, ways. The chill of winter is a fresh memory well until April, and the combination of warm nights and blazing days are as comforting as a blankie and a pacifier. Initially, at least, Floridians join the seasonal parade and embrace the advent of summer. Buying into the summertime myth doesn't come cheap.
Accessories only go so far, of course.
Within weeks, the newness of the products has worn off, supplanted by the moist film that coats anything not cooled by the blast of an air conditioner. A layer of grime, and occasionally lichen, soon attaches to the surface. It is around this time that the tenor of the summer season changes for good. For some, manifestation may occur in something as seemingly benign as Florida's Cracker population. On a good day, they are a colorful, offbeat breed, spouting equal parts backwoods wisdom and folklorish twaddle.