06/24/23 Weekend Grif.Net - Is Summer the Best Season?
b...@grif.net
[I have tried to compile a list to advocate why summer is a great time of the year. If I missed one of YOUR favorite reasons, add it to the list.]
What do I love most about summer?
>WARM WEATHER. Sunlight, blue skies, puffy clouds, cool breeze. Snowbanks mostly melted as temperatures rise.
>PICNICS. Cookouts. Time with my bride, my family, my friends. Smell of brats and burgers on the grill.
>TRAVEL. Opportunities to visit natural, historical, cultural, or educational sites abound.
>WATER. Swimming in the lake, wading in a creek, spraying a hose on the flowers, or a squirt-gun with the grandkids in the back yard.
>ICE CREAM. Nothing tastes as good as a cool cone as the sun is shining. And MUST eat it quickly so not drop will melt. Anyone still make their own? Or frozen custard?
>NO SCHOOL. Time for kids to relax and for families to catch up on some well-deserved time together.
>FAMILY. We have 15 grandkids and will get to spend time with most of them this summer. My daughter and family live 8 blocks away. All our brood try to invest summer days with relatives.
>CLOTHING. No more winter coats and long-johns. All about flip flops, sunglasses, and shorts.
>DAYLIGHT. Longer days and lighter evenings help my SAD condition. (Seasonal Affected Disorder from not enough sunlight).
>OURDOOORS. So much to explore. Wildlife and nature call. Short walks, long hikes, weekend getaways or vacation weeks all enhanced by beauty of God’s creation.
>GARDENS. Butterflies and bees abound as flowers and plants bloom. Not to mention the taste of that first tomato or bite of watermelon.
>CAMPING. Away from comforts of home to a more rustic life. Chopping wood, pumping water. Finding where to plug in the RV.
>BREEZES. Driving with the windows down. The summer breeze is far more relaxing than that air conditioner’s hum.
>FRUIT IN SEASON. Strawberries or peaches, plums or cherries are at their prime. And I remember when I had my own teeth and sweet corn dipped in butter abounded.
>THIRST QUENCHERS. Lemonade, iced tea, soda pop or limeade, there is something to pour over ice and sip.
>FESTIVALS. Concerts, parades, rodeos, or downtown crazy-daze sales all call my name. And festival FOOD? Funnel cakes and cotton candy create memories.
>BIKE RIDES. Wisconsin has converted abandoned rail grades (including tunnels) into wonderful pathways of exercise and adventure. First in the nation.
>HOLIDAYS. Memorial Day kicks summer off. Flag Day. Father’s Day. Summer Solstice. 4th of July Independence Day fireworks. Riverfest Days here in Watertown. Labor Day.
>SPORTS. Take me out the ballpark. Or golf course. Or lakes and streams. Or courts for tennis, volleyball, and pickleball (whatever it is).
>PHOTO OPS. Sunsets, forests, mountains, lakes, seashore - that perfect photo you’ve been waiting for is only a click of your phone away.
>SOUNDS. Listening. Enjoying the soft pitter-patter of rain. The wind in the willows. Birds serenading above the drones of an insect chorus. Or go off grid and listen to the sound of silence.
>LAZY DAYS. Reading and relaxing. Hum it with me: “Summertime, and the living is easy”. This is the norm in summer, while often absent in other times of year. Never miss the opportunity to do nothing!
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
"Jesus Knows Me, This I Love!"
