Summer

Summer has officially arrived. I know, it’s nearly August. Summer has been here for well over a month, according to the calendar. But in Pennsylvania, it has been a mild, wet July. Not as wet as some places (like Indiana), but we’ve had rain several days out of every week. Quite enough to keep the grass growing plentifully so that everyone in the neighborhood rushes out on the one sunny day to mow their lawns. It a chorus of lawn mowers and weed whackers during the day and locusts at night.

Bur for the past week or two, the rain has mostly come to an end and the sun has risen to beat down upon us and raise the temperatures to just above 90. Much more summer-like. And I’m already tired of it. Makes me wonder how I lived in Texas for years – a few days in the 90s and I’m anxious for fall to arrive!

Summer, by far, is my least favorite season. Winter is my favorite. I love snow, and sweaters, and bundling up. Autumn is my second favorite. I love the crisp, cool air and colorful leaves and anticipation of snow. Spring is third, for it carries the hope of a few snowfalls and yet brings the color and freshness winter doesn’t have. I just hate that it ushers in summer.

And yet summer has it’s own joys. This year, the best thing it has brought is the fireflies.  They are everywhere, twinkling in the dusk as the day dies away and night arrives. They make the summer evenings look pretty and sparkly. And, I learned, they are the state insect of Pennsylvania. One decision this state has rightly made.

Summer also brings fresh produce. We have picked strawberries, and cherries, and now blueberries are plentiful. I do enjoy spending some time at the local farm picking fresh fruit. And, of course, summer brings with it the wonderful excuse to have ice cream just about any time. At least I can balance that with temperatures nearly always suitable for a run.

This summer has also brought new discoveries in the area. Like a Friday night car cruise at a church about 10 miles away. The church has a huge parking lot, perfect for these people to bring out all manner of older and new (but cool and beyond my lifetime price range) vehicles for others to enjoy. By others, I mean especially Ed. He loves his cars and we found ourselves in the area of this cruise one Friday night so we had to meander around and admire all the Corvettes, and Mustangs, and cars whose names I don’t know but are much older than me (and a few even older than my parents!). He had so much fun, we purposefully went that way a couple of weeks later. And I have a feeling we’ll go again before the summer is out. Oh, well. It’s kind of interesting and since Sonic is nearby, we can stop for half-price milkshakes!

But the best part of summer? Well, since I don’t live in Texas any longer, it means autumn is just around the corner.