Breezy Beautiful Summer
Summer is my absolute favorite time of the year. Warm sunny days that stretch on forever-but never long enough. Our summer months fly by too fast.
Garden Weeds
There is never enough time to do all the things we need to do. Gardening comes to mind. Gary and I tried a bigger garden, and it didn’t pan out as we thought it should. The corn grew but we didn’t get cobs. The carrots were twisted together, resulting in a low yield. We had plenty of green and yellow beans which are favorites of both my husband Gary and me. Gardening isn’t one of my go-to things to do. I hate weeding with a passion. Furthermore, a garden is too much work. Last year we planted yellow and green beans only. It worked out great, not a lot of weeding to do and we had a steady supply of beans throughout the summer.
Flowers and Greenhouses
I can think of many other things I’d rather be doing with these beautiful days. Planting flowers is one of them. Perennials, hanging baskets, annuals. Rose bushes are my favorite and I have four bushes that do extremely well during the summer and bloom throughout. There are always flowers that need replacing, having died or not come back for some reason. Greenhouses await, we have our fair share in the city I live in. I frequent them all. Loving all flowers, it’s hard to pick and choose which ones I want to bring home. Planting and picking spots I want them to grow and thrive takes me hours. Who doesn’t enjoy getting their fingernails dirty digging in the dirt? Watering flowers is one thing I love now that I have a go-cart. Gary put a watering tank on the back so it’s easy and fast. Plus, I love the go-cart and so do my grandkids. The day is gone before I know it.
Sweaty Runs
My absolute favorite pastime in the summer is running. Nothing feels better than my feet hitting the pavement. I’m contemplating running a full marathon this summer, so I’ll be hitting the roads for some longer runs. As of now, I am on the fence about 26 miles, but it is on my bucket list. If I can find a full marathon in the fall that would be the perfect time. Not too hot and not too cold.
Let's Have a Party
Summer brings our annual party. Normally sometime in July. Family and fun. Dogs, grandkids, plenty of food, and great conversations. Gary and I always look forward to it, and we hope the weather will cooperate. Rain sneaks up on us, and we all end up on the deck with the overhang. The party continues even with crappy weather. A competitive game of bean bags sneaks into play at some point during the day. The rain doesn't last long (sometimes) we all watch for blue skies and plenty of sun. Enough food for all (enough to feed an army.) My husband always says better to have more than to run out. So, he grills brats, burgers, chicken, and ribs. Besides the main course of meat there are side dishes and desserts. No one leaves hungry.
We Need Rain
The weather in the summertime is what I cannot get enough of. The sun is so bright, usually there is a slight breeze. Nature is vibrant during summer months, from the green of the trees to the beautiful variety of vibrant colors of flowers. The sky is a glorious color of blue with fluffy white clouds. Storms during the summer. I don’t mind them a bit. A gentle rain is nice to run in. I love thunderstorms also. The thunder followed by lightning lighting up the sky. We need the rain to make the plants grow. We also have an abundance of honeybees because of the flowers. They especially love my sedum. Hummingbirds find their way to our place, along with cardinals, robins, blue jays, woodpeckers and almost daily eagles soar above our house. Landing in a nearby tree.
I cannot get enough of summer; we bought a fire pit last year so we will be roasting marshmallows and making s’mores this summer. I’m looking forward to it. Sitting outside in the dark with a fire going is bliss. Gary loves messing with the fire. There is nothing better than country living. No neighbors breathing down our necks. Just us and the birds, squirrels, and rabbits. Along with an occasion stray dog.
Soaks
We are also blessed enough to have a hot tub and yes, we use it even in the summer. Mostly in the evening, it cools off enough to climb in. It is on our deck and is Gary’s favorite purchase. He loves it. He goes in morning and night. Never getting enough of it. He says it is the one thing we will never get rid of.
We all complain but in reality, my husband and I are very blessed to have what we have and to live where we live. Neither one of us wants to be anywhere else. We love our home in the country. We have made it ours and wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Summer where are you?