Cows Ice Cream from PEI
I don’t usually make big plans for the summer. The groove at work is relaxed, there are lots of local festivals on the weekends, there’s plenty of gardening and yard work to do, and I can always find time for an evening walk and an ice cream cone!
However, I am constantly deluged with questions about what I’m doing for the summer, when I have vacation booked, where I’m travelling and what I did on the weekend.
The real answer? “I mowed the lawn and drank lime cordial and read a book!”
At least that’s better than when I had a school aged child. My answer then was “I’m working and my kid is going to day camp!”
The number one reason is that where I live, Fall is by far the most wonderful season, the perfect time for day trips and outdoorsiness. It’s sunny, the air is crisp, the leaves are gorgeous and the harvest is in.
You could have a good beach day, or one of these! (Photo: ctvnews.ca)
Summer, meanwhile, is short and variable – from June 28 (when school gets out for the summer) to September 22 (when Fall officially starts), we have some hot sun, many rainy and humid weeks, a fair share of fog, and lots of events cancelled due to weather.
It has never made much sense to me to travel during the summer, unless to a family reunion. Why leave the short sunny season here to go somewhere even hotter? (Which is everywhere in the world except for Nunavut, NWT and Yukon!)
You might think I’d like a sun vacation in the winter, but of course, they can be plagued by flight cancellations due to snow. My favourite months to travel are April and May, because snow delays are finally over and the weather is better anywhere but here!
In which I got to wear “the sundress”!
Last week I worked from Monday to Friday in air conditioned comfort, made a crockpot meal to last for a few nights, watched a DVD in the cool lower-level rec room, did some weeding, ate lots of ice cream and read books! Yesterday Rom and I went downtown to the waterfront to see our lovely city from the tourist point of view, and tomorrow (weather permitting…) there’s a parade for the city’s birthday.
Now there is one thing I “should” be doing more of, and that’s having summer evening meals at any of the hundreds of local restaurants with patios and umbrellas and frosty drinks!
Am I the only one who feels peer pressure to have a certain kind of summer?
An Exacting Life 
As per usual, you’re right on the money! We usually do one “fun” trip each summer if we can save up enough cash, but other than that, we take advantage of all the fun local activities. We’ve been crazy busy this month, but that’s because we have our homestay girl with us from Japan. But I think summer is about having fun with friends & family and relaxing! 🙂
I suppose it is more “business as usual” with me because of my work schedule, but everyone seems to be in summer mode and it’s not so intense. Down at the library we are busy rewarding kids for their summer reading!
I love you in the sundress, Dar, you look gorgeous. And I like your new Gravatar!
Aww, you’re so nice!
Summer – did I hear you mention the word Summer? Oh if only – can’t wish my life away tho’ can I loll
Do what you like Dar after all it’s your summer! Just hold on to that warmer weather for a few more weeks please 😉
Cathy
Yes, exactly! I do love the warmer weather. In August our nights cool off dramatically, so I’m enjoying the sunny days while they last. We get 4 months of good weather, 4 months of cold/winter and 4 months of drizzle/fog/rain!
It’s funny isn’t it…I think sometimes it almost becomes a “desperation” thing, trying to squeeze more fun, experience and Instagram into every moment. Your approach seems much more ‘Zen’! Some of the best memories I have of summer are the ordinary ones…evening walks, ice-cream and freshly cut grass!
Arguing on the other side, I suppose there are only so many summer weekends when it’s possible to do outdoorsy things like camping, boating, and going to beer gardens, so I can see why people try to “cram”!
Summer = laziness is firmly implanted in my brain. As a kid, we’d go on vacation for a week (mostly day trips), but the other 9 weeks off from school were for reading, board games, movie marathons, and exploring the backyard. No pressure, just long days to fill with (almost) anything I wanted. Nowadays, my husband and I do basically the same – one week of vacation and lots of laziness in between. I love it 🙂
I had the same kind of school holidays. I guess that’s why I have such an ingrained feeling that the summer should be different from the rest of the year!
Well… I must say, your summer sounds perfect to me!
I mean come on… a Book… some ice cream… BLISS!!
Love the sundress!
Tammy x
Thanks, Tammy – I just like to keep it simple 🙂
I’m like you – I have a couple of weeks off, but they’ve been spent relaxing and reading. We hope to go to a family cottage for a few days, but it is just a short boat ride from our house, so its low stress to get there. No big plans on our horizon either. The kids hang out with relatives on the days that we work, laze around our place when we are off..
I remember pix from your cottage last year; it looks really relaxing. Glad you are having a good summer so far!
Having done fieldwork for the past four summers I’m looking forward to a relaxing one this year! Ice cream and books sound great 🙂
Are you finished with field work, EOK? What’s next for you?
Oh my, all through school, after every weekend and holiday you were asked how it was. I never thought my answers were good enough. Now days, I semi prepare my answers, and feel more comfortable. But I also work harder to do ‘cool’ things I want to do (even if others don’t find them cool – like a hardware store visit!). I love the frosty drinks – I remember last summer you shared all your drinking habits in summer – so quirky and interesting!
And I thought they were normal, ha ha! Sometimes before a work meeting, the managers (of which I am one) stand in a group and chime off their holiday plans: Cuba, Disney, Vegas, and I suddenly find myself falling silent! But I am not so far removed with my annual trips to the UK.