June 21st, 2019

 With the Summer Solstice today, Summer officially has begun. For me now, the start of summer means very little in the way of changes, just longer days, shorter nights, and much hotter weather. It means getting outside very early in the morning to pull weeds from the flower beds, shutting the shades on the sunny side of the house, and remembering my big sun hat to plop on my head when I leave the house on errands.

But when I was the age of my grandchildren, whose elementary school finished last week, the start of summer meant much more.

If my family stayed in town it meant

Swimming and splashing at the crowded local pool

Running to the ice cream truck playing its music, with quarters clutched in our hands to buy popsicles and ice cream bars and Nutty Buddies

Dancing through the  arcs of the backyard sprinkler

Running through the twilight with sparklers twirling in our hands

Catching fireflies in a jar and then letting them go.

But even better, if my family went to our North Woods cabin in the summer it meant

Swimming in the cool lake waters and chasing little sunfish through the shallows

Balancing on the big truck inner tube for a  brief second and then tumbling into the lake

Rowing the boat to the lagoon to see the white water lilies in full bloom

Watching the plastic bobber on the surface of the lake, waiting for a fish to bite

Racing up the hill to see the evening train pass along the embankment

Lying in the hammock and making up songs

Picking blueberries in the woods

Roasting marshmallows at the beach fire

Watching Fourth of July fireworks over the lake

Swimming on the path made by the moon on the lake

Sitting in the screen porch by the shore and telling ghost stories, then racing up the hill to the cabin as though all the ghosts were on our heels.

Summer days were long and summer was infinite and life was full of wonders.