August in North Florida brings with it certain special beauties–blue morning glories, jewel-like poke berries, puddle-loving smartweed (which I always called “bead flowers” as a kid), purple muscadine grapes, and butterflies galore. Whenever I see a ripe poke berry or a wild grape, it reminds me that it’s August, and it makes me think, inevitably, of another August, when I was 12.