Our little Northwest town is still in the throes of high summer: blue skies, warm temperatures, sailboats in the harbor, chicken salad for dinner and watering the garden every night to keep the beans from drying out. These are the kind of bountiful days I dream of every February. But even as I cling to the many joys of the season, I can see the slow tick, tick, tick of time marching on. We just sent our daughter back to college. She is thrilled to be back to campus, and I am thrilled for her, but I hold that joy together with some trepidation of the unknown, and many reminders for her to wash her hands and wear her mask.

People like me who write on the internet are very often pushing the season. I follow bloggers and Instagrammers who cannot wait until Fall. They get all excited for layers and sweaters and they embrace pumpkin spiced everything. I’m sure it has something to do with sponsorships, the Nordstrom sale and back to school promotions. None of which really concern me. So even though Fall is my favorite season, I am absolutely not ready for summer to be over. Are you with me?

What are some things we can do to enjoy the current season a little more? One of my favorite things is to visit a local coffee shop on the harbor and enjoy an Americano and an almond croissant outside on their deck early in the morning. This can only happen when the weather is warm enough and if you get there at the right time, you can smell the fog burning off the harbor. I also really enjoy having dinner outside with my family. Eating outside makes everything taste better. Picking tomatoes, ripe and hot off the vine is a particular summertime joy.

Even thinking of ways to beat the heat is kind of fun. We like to nap in the hammock, stock up on popsicles, make homemade lemonade (really, so good), or indulge in more ice-cream than normal. We take the dogs for their walk earlier in the morning and later in the afternoon. Our romantic, quarantine walk at noon can wait until the temperature drops by another ten degrees.

When the leaves start to fall, I’ll be happy to embrace a new season with the sweaters, fire pits and slow-cooked stew. Until then, you’ll find me enjoying summer in the hammock with a tall glass of lemonade.
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