The joys of summer

"Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly." ―Van Morrison

Kathryn A. LeRoy

Jun 24, 2023

The setting sun creates a white glow over the beach reflecting on the water; the shadows of two people and a dog are backlight by the sun as they play on the shore — Summer and Sand © Kathryn LeRoy

Hello friends,

Morrison’s lyrics sum up my feelings about summer. Spring has its new growth. Fall reminds us that everything and everyone must let go, and winter celebrates the stillness of cold nights and sparkling stars.

But summer clings to memories of lazy days, breaks in the mundane of the ordinary, and the joys of footloose and carefree moments in the sun. As the heat soared on the first day of summer, I was also reminded of the other side of this coin.

Mosquitos buzz around my sleepy, sweaty head. The sun blares its heat from early morning to the final ray of sunshine leaving the earth parched, smoldering, and heavy. Staying cool becomes the primal need of plants, animals, and people.

Despite the summery annoyances, I still love these months of letting my soul and spirit fly.

The sun casts a bright orange glow as it rises between the trees that are backlit by the light — Summer Sunrise © Kathryn LeRoy

Elizabeth Barrett Browning did not envision summer as the source of affection in her famous question, “ How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”

I counted ten reasons I still love summer even on sweltering, steamy, and sun-swirling blue sky days.

Slipping my toes in the sand waiting for the foamy waves to wash over my sun-parched feet.
Watching children chase bubbles in the shade of the pine trees.
Quiet evenings on the swing as the summer sun slowly falls from the sky.
Family trips to zoos, parks, beaches, and mountains.
Taking your turn sitting on the wooden ice cream freezer and turning the hand crank, waiting impatiently for the creamy delight.
Summer Visitor © Kathryn LeRoy
Chasing fireflies in the sticky night air and watching them light up in a mason jar.
Seed fights between bites of a juicy red watermelon.
Fireworks lighting the sky leaving trails of brilliance as colors float through the night.
Lying in a hammock, sea breezes, a good book, children laughing, and a sensuous adult beverage to keep cool.
Dreaming of all the past, future, and present moments of bliss.

I missed a few “loves” like blackberry or peach cobblers and floating in the pool. If I calculate my list of loves and annoyances, summer wins by a long shot.

What do you remember about past summers? And, what about today? Every moment offers a chance to make summer memories.

A soap bubble floats above the water in the pool; the reflection of the sun creates a bright blue background — Bubbles in the Pool © Kathryn LeRoy

Summer reading lists seem to pop up everywhere. Pick a genre, and you’ll find books to send you on a mini-vacation into new worlds. I created a list one year to inspire my mind.

You can scour Barnes & Noble’s summer reading list for the perfect book for your heat-inspired escape. Lit Hub also compiled the ultimate summer reading list subtitled, “the Count of Melty Crispo.”

If you need a summer playlist while reading and sipping a cool drink, try one on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Music. I’ll start my list with Summer Breeze.

"Summer was our best season: it was sleeping on the back screened porch in cots, or trying to sleep in the tree house; summer was everything good to eat; it was a thousand colors in a parched landscape..."
― Harper Lee

An orange and white Tabby cat sleeps on the brownish bricks — Lazy Summer Day © Kathryn LeRoy

Find a little wonder this week, and if it’s summer where you live, go have some fun.

With gratitude,

Kathryn

A single Shasta Daisy with white petals and yellow center with the pineneedle ground behind it — Summer Daisy © Kathryn LeRoy

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