It’s Here, The First
Day of Summer
Did you know that the first day of the summer is also known
as the day of the summer solstice? It is the longest day of the year. The first
day of summer is the day the sun reaches its most northern point in the sky at
local noon. After this date, the days start getting shorter. The correct date is either June 20th
or June 21st, in North America, depending on your time Zone.
I’m sure all of you have different reasons to love summer. If you live in central Arizona, as I do,
most people hate it, and head for the tall pines in the northern part of the
state, or for the beaches in San Diego. For many years, we made a mad dash
in either direction and stayed as long as we could. But now, that I’m older,
I’ve come to love the hot summers, although I will admit to enjoying two weeks
or so on the beach. I’ve learned to do my shopping in the morning hours and to
park in the shade when possible. Going to the movies on a hot summer day is
delightful.
Plus, I don’t need reservations to get a table at my favorite
restaurant. Reading a good book or writing is a great way to spend the
afternoons, and I love making, and eating, cold salad dinners.
I would like to share some
memories of my summers when I was a kid in the 1930’s:
v School is out, no summer school that
I knew of back then.
v Walking in the forest to pick violets
and coming upon a spring for a drink of icy cold water.
v Chasing the ‘ice delivery truck’ down
the street hoping a chunk of ice would fall off.
v Playing outside after dinner, no team
sports, just games like ‘Kick The Can’ and ‘Marbles and ‘Over Over Ollie”
v The delightful taste of a frozen Popsicle
or ice cream on a stick.
v Swinging in a ‘tire swing’ under the
trees.
v Jumping into a cold still lake.
v Playing monopoly, on a screened
porch, while it pours down rain outside.
We had no home swimming pools (unless you were very wealthy).
No television, electronic games, cell phones, twitter or e-mail. The only
reason to be inside in the summer was when it was raining and you had a good
book to read. Those were the days!
By Lois Jamieson
If you’d like to read
more inspirational and fun stories about summer, go to:
