Summer Nights

You might label me a homebody because my idea of the perfect summer night is sitting on my porch watching fireflies rise out of the grass and float through the air in their magical dance. Early evening turns to twilight, becoming darkness as stars replace the lightning bugs. My absolute favorite “Summer Nights” lightshow is the Perseid meteor showers which occur annually from mid-July until late August but tend to peak mid-August after midnight. The stars actually seem to whisper to each other! However, my artist's eye does enjoy the lights of the city and the night lights of foreign lands. Photos from my friends inspired this mini series of  watercolor “Summer Nights.”

When my longtime buddy, Susie Germick, returned from a family vacation to France, she shared some photographs with me at our gals get-together. Her night shots of the Eiffel Tower were spectacular! I'm a great fan of that landmark (and of course the series of Eiffel Tower paintings by the renowned artist Delauney)  so, as an experienced armchair traveler, I asked if I could paint from her photo. 

The Eiffel Tower, constructed of wrought iron on the bank of the Seine River in Paris, was engineered by Gustave Eiffel specifically for the 1889 World's Fair after he won the competition for rights to do so. Its three floors stand over 1,000 feet high. Expected to be dismantled by 1910, Eiffel, a scientist as well as engineer, designed it to also be used for astronomical and meteorological observations and physics experiments and had the names of 72 scientists inscribed on the border of each of the four sides. Fortunately, it was never dismantled and with careful upkeep and repainting, the tower is expected to last indefinitely.  

When my fellow artist, Theresa Banas, and her husband returned home from a trip to Poland, she showed me her cell phone. “This was our view from our hotel window!” she exclaimed. Immediately, I knew I had to “travel” to Krakow through Theresa’s photo and enjoy “Summer Nights” overlooking the Old Town Hall Tower.

The Gothic style red brick tower is located in Krakow’s Main Market Square. The rest of the Town Hall was demolished in 1820. Even more awesome, to me, was learning about Chopin, the real reason Theresa and her husband were visiting Poland.  Dr. Michael Banas, as well as being one of our favorite doctors InSide the Back Mountain (and we have many!) is also an author of amazing medical thrillers, and his book Saving Chopin is one of my favorites! In real life, Fryderyk Chopin, a virtuoso pianist, child prodigy, and leader in the Romantic era of music, left Poland due to political unrest and eventually settled in Paris, yet always yearned to return to his homeland. His heart was removed after his death in 1849, preserved in a jar (of cognac?), smuggled into Warsaw and interred in the Holy Cross Church. During World War II, a German SS officer removed the jar containing Chopin’s heart “for protection.” But you’ll have to read the book to find out why Fred Chopin of Philadelphia, a resident of a homeless shelter, had a strange tattoo in an odd place, and discover all the fascinating medical details and plot twists! 

My third “Summer Nights” painting is from Ireland. My dear friend Ann Sweeney and her husband, John, recently returned from Scotland and Ireland. All her photos are fascinating, but one of my favorites was St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. Ann wasn't there at night so I drew the composition from a daytime photo, viewed a few online nighttime photos and imagined my own “Summer Night” at St Patrick’s.

This Anglican Church, the National Church of Ireland, is the country’s largest cathedral and dates back to 1191 as an important pilgrimage site. Saint Patrick himself was said to have passed through Dublin in the 5th century and the cathedral was built on an ancient well used by Patrick in his travels. The present building dates from 1220-1259 and showcases spectacular Gothic architecture. Jonathan Swift, who wrote Gulliver's Travels, is also buried inside the Cathedral.

Soon our seasons and schedules will change, so enjoy our last few summer nights. Before we know it, we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving! As an experienced armchair traveler, I plan to sit on my porch, watch the last few fireflies, enjoy the first breaths of cool autumn air, and perhaps stroll through the neighborhood at twilight, enjoying the peace and quiet of summer nights InSide the Back Mountain. What are your favorite summer nights memories from 2025? Concerts? Campfires? The Library Auction? Fireworks? Or maybe your own porch!

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This article originally appeared in the August 2025 publication of InSide the Back Mountain.