How I spent my summer holidays - Editorial Notebook

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I’m just back from summer vacation and readers will doubtless be relieved to learn that I return much wiser than when I left.

I learned more about potato salad, for one thing. Nearly every woman on the planet has her own method of making this summertime staple and most have their own secret (or not so secret) ingredient or technique.

Women in my family rely on homemade salad dressing to make our potato salads sing. I’d tell you the recipe, but then, as they say in spy movies, I’d have to kill you.

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An acquaintance who has a super salad repute swears by the inclusion of a pinch of dry mustard in the dressing. Another says the secret is a few tablespoons of dill pickle juice.

Some women advise the use of old rather than new potatoes. Likewise, eggs a few days old peel more easily than fresh eggs, and everyone knows good looking egg chunks are vital to any spud salad.

There is no consensus on whether cucumbers should be included, due to their tendency toward sogginess. On the other hand, radishes are universally recommended for adding colour to the dish.

Enough about salad. I learned a few more things while vacationing in the homes, farms and gardens of relatives. Needless to say, I rushed eagerly back to this keyboard so I could share them.

Certain weeds take on the characteristics of the cultivated plants in which they hide. This cunning is a bit disturbing if you allow yourself to think about it too much.
It is odd that many people, when facing a camera and with their backs to breathtaking scenery, feel compelled to wave.
Given a choice, chipmunks prefer potato chips to plums.
There will always be one pouty child in every large group photo.
More people need to realize that when one deer crosses the road, there are likely two or three others about to do the same.

Attempts at a so-called “quick game of golf” will invariably be played just behind a tournament of hackers.
A tent that goes up with extreme difficulty will come down with extreme ease. Hopefully the latter event will occur when you are not still sleeping under it.
A toddler will refuse endless entreaties to repeat words like “auntie” and “horsie” but will blurt out the first swear word he hears after it’s spoken only once.
There are always more strawberries in the row next to the one you’re picking.
You can cut about 14 decent sized pieces from a standard angel food cake.
Unless you live there, the saddest sight to behold is that last glimpse of home – in the rearview mirror.