I love the smell of honeysuckle. One of the houses down the alley from ours has it growing on their back fence. During the spring and summer whenever I park somewhere that it is more convenient to walk up the alley and come in the back door as opposed to coming in the front, I get to smell it as I’m walking past. Tonight was one of those nights.

It reminds me of my childhood in Georgia. We had lots of honeysuckle growing in our backyard. I remember picking the flowers and pulling out the little middle stem thing (is that the stamen? I don’t know flower anatomy) at the end of which sits a single sweet drop of honeysuckle nectar ready to enjoy. It’s the taste of summer.

I don’t stop and eat anyone’s honeysuckle now, but whenever I happen upon it I’m transported back to sweet memories of summers long ago.