Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Summer Surroundings




















I have started to enjoy the season and benefit from my surroundings. The heat wave drove me indoors for a few days, but the river and mountains have done wonders as far as keeping me cool and more active this summer.


There is nothing much to do besides enjoy the leisurely pace and the fact that friends are much more available now too, with their short work weeks and vacation days. I've noticed that even my most manic friend has calmed down and is able to stare at cloud formations for an hour. Now if I could just get Kurt to take a day off from the OPE grind to spend a day watching the river flow, my summer would be complete. One friend just called to say how enjoyable work is now that the boss has gone away on vacation. Everyone seems to be enjoying some particular feature of summer and making the most of it.

I used to always think something was missing in summertime, or that it was an interruption of the usual. As a kid I missed not going to school in summer, because I was a nerd.

This is my first summer of unlimited appreciation for summer. Usually my least favorite season, it has gotten me to warm up to it by being filled with wonderful friends and unusual treats. The heat wave had me visiting interesting libraries, and my reading list has stayed light; mainly short stories. I seem to have found more places to hike and a way to 'think summer'.