The Home Page

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

SUMMER

I survive every winter just waiting for the spring signs. The first little spring green to pop its head out of the snow or the frozen ground makes me smile and gain hope that yet another summer will be coming. Some days in February and March, I doubt spring will ever get here let alone summer. This past year, that early March warm up was so welcomed by this winter hating human. Two weeks of superb weather right in the middle of what is usually my least favorite time of the year. I was sooooo happy and got sooooo much yard work done and such a big jump on my season. I wasn't even crushed by the return of colder weather which followed. It was a lovely break in the bleak.

Now summer is nearly here, calendar wise. In my heart of hearts, it IS here. It's warm and we have more sun than clouds and I can sit outside and breathe anytime I want. This is what I thrive on.

Yes, I love swimming and I love flowers and I adore the warmth. I love the green grass and the smells of summer. The birds singing or chirping and the hummers humming around the feeders and stopping mid-flight to look me in the eye and then dart away. The butterflies flitting from flower to flower and looking the Oriole feeders and Hummingbird feeders over and passing on to the next flower bloom for a sip, all make me smile.

The kids bring their kids more often in the summer to swim and cook a dog or burger and share a few hours with us. I love that more than anyone without grand children can even imagine. Splashing around with those babies is what life is all about for this old gal.

I am completely solar powered. When the sun shines, so do I. I get things done and I am just smiling all the time. I don't mind the heat and I don't mind the humidity because for me, this is so preferential to being cold and seeing gloom when I look out the window. Weeding the flowers, cleaning the pool and watering everything is not work, it's love. Then sitting and admiring the yard, the pool and everyone who shares this world with us, that's the payoff. There is nothing about summer that I don't like. Even the bugs and animals who share our space are okay with me. I'd prefer that they stay out of the pool, but now and then one of them commits suicide and I am the one to discover the body and remove it from my pristine water.  Not my favorite thing to do, but it must be done and I'm elected.




The raccoon that insists on emptying my bird feeder in two nights visits is a bit annoying, but he is also very cute and very friendly.  If I open the window and nicely ask him to leave, he just looks around the feeder and shovels 'handfuls' of seed while looking right in my eyes.  He is not afraid of me, at all. I call him Charlie. He is now almost a pet. Hoping he doesn't bring a gang. There were three, he's the only one remaining. I think he's a thug 'coon and has run off the others.  I guess I'll just feed him.

Here is the best shot I got of Charlie because it's so dark when he comes to visit and I had to shoot this one through the screen...but there he is!  Caught white-handed!  Little stinker.



(He will stand with his feet in the lowest feeder and look in the window while he eats. While I say, "Seriously Charlie? Are you going to empty my feeder?"  he just stares at me while shoveling.)

I find my entire life is just better from April through September.  Then in October I begin to feel the veil of fall leading to winter covering me. It's not something I can ignore. It's real and it's strong. The best I can do is fight inside my head day in and day out and once in a while, give in to it and just be sad and unhappy for a day or two. Sun deprivation is difficult, but manageable and I have suffered with it for years. I do not have one single day of that in summer and I am oh, so grateful for that.

I love, love no really  L O V E  every single day of  S U M M E R.




Here is the latest flower area Mike thought I needed. Last week-end was dedicated to this.

Two purple climatis' one yellow rose bush and a million bells tinytunie in the middle.

And three solar birds ~ just cuz they're so cute.






This is just one of a million wonderful moments of kids in the pool....Hailee, Jennifer and Chloe just hanging and posing for Grandma Jo and her camera!

Nothing beats a day of kids and water!





Jo

18 comments:

  1. I'm glad you have a whole wonderful summer to enjoy. I hope you have the best time ever. As for Charlie...I fed raccoons in my backyard for 18 years. I named them all Rocky. Some were quite tame, but one night 4 years ago, one of them bit me. I had to go to the ER for the first series of shots (21 all around the wound, one in the arm and another in the butt), then to the health department for the next several shots over the following 3 weeks. I no longer feed the raccoons.

    ReplyDelete
  2. p.s.... I love your new blog look. Very nice!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are the first to note the change! Thanks! Yeah, I know about your coon bite and I do NOT feed them myself, I meant he could just eat the seed. I am really not a coon lover, but he is so danged cute.
      Thanks for your love and support it's one of the things I count on! ♥

      Delete
  3. Love the fun summer post and the pictures and the new look.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Laura. I do love me some summer! I like the cleaner look of this one. Thanks for noticing. ♥

      Delete
  4. Reading your post made me realize how different our summers are - in India, it's so hot, we try to stay indoors as much as possible during the day and venture out in the evenings, if we have that kind of luxury.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do you have very mild winters? Or any winter at all? I am so uneducated about India weather, sorry, I need to research that.
      I understand the too hot, but we don't have that here. It's in the 90's a few times during our summer, but mostly 80's and high 70's. Evenings usually are either very sticky hot or refreshingly cool.

      Delete
  5. Of course I was here. You sure are a summer girl

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm always happy to know you are reading. Thanks for letting me know! <3

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  6. Ah yes...summer at Jo's! I can imagine nothing would be better than that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I replied but it seems to be gone! So I said thank you and yes it's the most wonderful time of the year!

      Delete
  7. When I read this blog, my heart fluttered and lighted up ...Hm... I am ready to embrace Summer. And your grandchildren are so cute!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good deal! I love spreading summer love! Thanks for stopping in. ;)

      Delete
  8. I love all of the seasons but would prefer to have only two days of cold/snow and then head right into spring. We were extremely lucky this year and the end of last year as far as weather goes...just a couple of light snow falls, and then temps in the high 60's in Nov, Dec and Jan. Spring actually felt like spring and Summer hasn't been so humid. It's in the upper 70's today. Perfect! If only it could stay this way forever.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a wonderful spring and now so far, I am totally thrilled with summer. We do need some rain, but I can water, if I have to. :)

      Delete
  9. What a wonderful tribute to summer. I totally agree, life is better in the summertime, but I don't know about September. Those allergies hit me hard then. I also like the freedom which comes with summer vacation. Enjoy the kids.

    http://joycelansky.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Recovering through the summer would put a little damper on summer, but I'd prefer that to being couped up inside while I heal. Hope you get to really enjoy some of your summer cuz you know I am!

      Delete

I really want to know that YOU were here...please drop me a note or just say Hi ~ I do love a comment and it keeps me motivated!

You write and I will answer. Eventually. Show the love!