Summer Grillin'

I think the Florida Fall and Spring is really the best time for grilling because of the perfect weather. But Summer brings the late sunset so that I have time to grill while there is still light out - especially when it's Kari's late nights and we're not eating until 8:30 or 9:00.

HOWEVER, summer also brings rain. And it's been raining a lot lately. Yesterday, it rained the whole first half of the day. At high tide, the water started rising in our streets - I haven't seen it get that high since we've moved here. The neighbor's yard on the corner lot was under water. But the water subsided, the sky cleared, and we were left with a rather "cool" night for some grilled tandoori chicken.

There was about 15 minutes left on the chicken when I heard a little drizzle. The sun was set and the murky gray twilight was fast fading into black. I stepped outside and the clouds didn't look too bad. The drizzle was already ending. Inside as I was tending to the naan and green beans, I heard the patter picking up again.

I went with umbrella this time. Still a light drizzle. I thought I would pull the grill under the oak tree-covered part of the patio to give it a little shelter for the last 10 minutes. As I was moving the grill, the hesitant sprinkle turned into sheets of rain. I was stuck at the back of our driveway/patio, umbrella over grill, with rain pouring down my back. I didn't have a pan or tongs to grab the chicken off. I didn't even have a potholder or glove to close the vents so that water didn't drench the drumsticks.

So I waited. Kari was on the phone and computer - she didn't know I had gone outside. About 10 minutes later, her head was peeking out the side door. She had this quizzical "where did the grill go" look. She spotted me in the dark under the tree and came to my rescue.

I was drenched, but the chicken was tasty!