Summer-rizing    

What does summer-rizing mean for you?

Summer- rize (To prepare one’s self, home, yard, and attitude for summertime.)

        Ah, summertime. Birdsong before dawn wakes me up and I go for a stroll, swim, bike ride, or game of tennis before the searing heat sets in.

        The pool, cool and shady, invites me to take a dip before the heat arrives. The sun makes me a lazy floater gazing at the clouds. 

        Let me feel the warm nights, hear the crickets chirp, and watch the woods aglow with fireflies.

       Summer produce -- fresh herbs, fruit, and vegetables -- are worth the wait. I anticipate the first ripe peach with its sticky, sweet juice exploding after one bite. The fragrance of my homegrown basil shows off its aroma in only a few weeks after planting.

       Give me long days that call for a tall glass of cold, tart limeade and an engaging book. Bring on the bats in all their frenzy chasing down supper at dusk. 

But the work of summer-rizing comes first. Here’s my short list:

·         Replace or fix everything that’s worn out or missing from last year. 

·         The grill, deck, and chairs all get a bath. The power-washer trades places with the snow blower. 

·         Bikes get a tune up. 

·        The herb garden receives a pep talk. Two new types of tomatoes follow me home from the garden store.

·         Weeding the garden beds, while wary of poison ivy and its relatives.  

·         Hummingbird feeders with homemade sugar water decorate the windows.

·         Memorize the farmers market schedules: Who has the best produce? When should I go? Saturday or Sunday morning?

·         Throw out the outdated sunscreen, and buy new flavors in SPF 30, SPF 50, and SPF 70.  Ah, do I need SPF 100?  

Enjoy the summer season! May your chores be few, and the joys be many.