The Sweet Summertime

Who doesn’t love July?

The sun washed days, the freedom from the daily responsibility of school and homework, and a parade of birthday parties made July my favorite month in my youth.  Even now, I think of July as the Crown Jewel of Summer, a sparkling gem in a season of promise.

If July had a theme it would be Celebration!  The partying begins on Independence Day and continues the whole month through.  In my life, more loved ones are born in July than any other month.  Throw in a wedding or two, several graduation parties, my anniversary, my own birthday, church potlucks, and impromptu cook outs,  and it seems that every spare moment is spent in happy fellowship with family and friends.

Sadly, no celebration can last forever.  Tomorrow will be July’s last day.

A hint of sadness always accompanies the flipping of my calendar to August.  Yes, it is still summer, and the days are still long and beautiful. But the turning of the month marks a shifting in my mind set. It is time to think of back to school clothes and supplies.  The stores will fill their racks with autumn’s fashions.  The days will shorten – by just the tiniest bit, mind you, but noticeably so none the less.  In July it easy to think that summer will last forever; in August, I feel as though I must make pains to squeeze in the last bits of summer fun before we transition to autumn’s glory.

These final weeks of summer will fade away unnoticed unless you make a special effort to attend to them.  Only yesterday, I noticed the first leaves changing from vibrant green to a golden yellow.  Have you availed yourself of all that summer has to offer?  If not, perhaps I can tempt and inspire you with these photos of summer in my world.

Enjoy the photos – but better still, enjoy your summer!

(You can view the photos as thumbnails, or click on one to flip through individually.)

Beautiful flowers found during a garden stroll.

A wonderful sign from a wedding I attended.

I call these my “Dr. Seuss Flowers”

Why, yes, she does enjoy eating cupcakes!

Freshly baked blueberry cake, ready for icing!

These frogs are a familiar sight in Erie, PA.

Root beer float – YUM.

Butterfly on flowers

A rural Pennsylvania scene

One of the many bunnies that visit our yard

We found the heart of the watermelon!

Blueberry picking!

Simply press our foreheads together and PRESTO – information exhanged.

I read quite a bit in July – I am still working on some of these.

An outdoor worship service at a local church camp

I wrote more than ever in July, and submitted work for publication for the first time.

Sunrise from my window

Beautiful blooms

Looking for beach glass at Presque Isle

Softball!

Amish buggy

Love this time of day when the moon peeks out, but daylight is still hanging on.

Last of all, enjoy this summer themed blog post on Nothing But Poetry.  It captures the allure of this wonderful season in poetry.