Summer

Well, another summer has come and gone. It was a fairly good summer. There were a couple of heat waves with many sunny days. I'm not ready to let it go yet though. I still wear shorts almost every day along with short sleeved shirts. And I refuse to wear a jacket unless it's below 40 degrees. I know that it's just a matter of time before I have to bring out the warmer clothes but I'm holding on as long as I can.

Summer has always been special to me. Growing up I'd walk through the woods to the cove on the Ware River where I'd fish for hours at a time. Usually it was just me and my dog Oakey. It was a great place to just get away and reflect on things.

Summer was also a time for baseball. We'd have pickup games at St. Joe's Park almost every day. We didn't belong to a league, there weren't any fans but it was always a fun time. We'd play until we were tired or it was time for dinner.

The ocean has always been a favorite place of mine in the summer. Growing up, going to the beach is the only vacation I can remember. We'd pile in the car early in the morning and head off to Misquamicutbeach in RI. Usually it was my dad and brother. At least that's what I remember. I loved it there! The waves seemed a lot bigger then and I can remember getting tossed around like a wet rag coming up with a mouthful of salt water. Then about 4pm, we'd pack up and head home. It wasn't a fancy vacation at some exotic place but it was always the best.

As I got older, I went to Hampton Beach in NH with my friends. Those were good times! Two of us would get a motel room and the rest would sneak in later. I can remember many days and nights there just laying on the beach or walking around at night.

Later in my 20's I started going to Ocean Park Maine. The first time I went there just about the whole family stayed in one cottage. I don't know how we all fit. There were may mom and dad, sisters and brothers, wives and husbands and Heather, who was 2 at the time. That started a tradition that still goes on. I have to make a trip to Ocean Park at least one time each summer.

So, I say goodby to summer and know that it's just 9 months away to another.