Of Daisies and Dandelions…
We’ve slipped through the first week already. The aroma has shifted from acrid, eye-watering soccer cleat stench to sunscreen. A trip to Utah is in the final planning stages. And bare feet have become the norm… Finally. Summer.
The word alone is enough to make a kid grin and kick off his shoes. I’m trying to wriggle back into that mode myself. It‘s been terribly busy. Busy enough that it felt like Thursday afternoon on Tuesday morning. And that’s not going to change anytime soon.
But it’s summer!
I love autumn; I survive winter and can give no real opinion on an Ohio spring, which is predictably unpredictable (In Ohio, spring is more of a pleasant thought than an actual season). Summer, on the other hand, is simple.
Days stretch to a length that’s more likely to contain all my “stuff”. They’re generally hot, and if it rains, you’re just about ready for something cooler anyway. The summer months are “outdoor” friendly; begging to be filled with bike rides, longer runs, kayaking/canoeing and hiking. And I’m not the only one driving around with my windows down anymore…
The only thing is…
I hesitate to mention it.
The yard work…?
I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I love digging in the dirt and watching green things grow, and I don’t mind mindless activities such as weed pulling when my brain’s ready to roll through a few worthy places. It’s just that I can’t do it all as well as I used to.
You can’t kill perennials, so I still have plenty of bouquet material for my kids (and neighbor kids) to pick from, but some of my best “blooms” are growing freely in the lawn this year. These are the “lovelies” that grow fastest and tallest while the kids and I tackle grass cutting as a rag tag relay team. Matt starts with the mower one afternoon; Zach swipes at it the next. A couple of days later Hannah comments on how long the grass has grown, at which point I make a desperation grab for the weed trimmer to get the longer stuff in the back down to where the lawn mower can reach it again.
The other night I played basketball with Matt, steadfastly ignoring the urge to start my engine in favor of the bigger need in my son… Matt called an unexpected time-out. He was winning, so it wasn’t strategic at all. And he walked over to pick me a daisy from the side yard.
And I decided if my son picks it for me it cannot be a weed. It’s a gift.
Just like summer…
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Ah, summer and daisies. I long to live in a place where I never have to wear shoes again.
A delightful post that tells how good summer is. We had a couple of beautiful days with warm sunshine this week, but it’s sadly reverted to cloudy rain.
Our yard work this week consisted of getting the in-ground irrigation system working — so it was sort of fun (and it’s mostly done).
Next week will see the continuation of mulch spreading and I’ve got several yards of topsoil to throw around — so it gets to be a little bit more like work. Of course, its the kind of work that shows an as-you-go result, and there’s something comforting about that.
You know, just once I’d like to have a spring like you read about in Fairy Tales. I don’t like going cold and snowy to hot and humid in a weekend with a day of spring here and there — I want all the spring-like days strung together and I want them to last 3 months … like on the calendar.
As I have progressed through life, my garden has got smaller and smaller. I was born and bred on a farm, then my first married life house had almost an acre of garden and so on down until now we have just enough garden for my son and his mates to party inside/ outside so the dancing happens inside and the puking happens outside.
Mad William,
That sounds heavenly… Bare feet are an instant transport back to childhood freedoms.
Jean-Luc,
We’re getting our share of rain here too. Not a bad thing, because I tend to favor outdoor chores over the inside ones. A rainy day assures clean socks tomorrow…
Beautiful and blooming flowers reminds us that summer is a great season and this is what we are waiting for. We can do outdoor activities and it’s very fun.
A beautiful post and photos, Heather.
Summer hasn’t begun in Northern MI yet. It’s rain, rain, rain… thunder and cold nights here. Jeff has had the pool filled for weeks and now it’s gathering debris. I think he jumped the gun. 
I knew you were a writer from your great imagery. What genres do you like writing? I looove talking about writing, although I have swung to photography pubbing at the moment. My next project will include inspirational text. I am also finishing up a fiction mainstream novel that I will submit to my agent soon.
Thank you for encouraging Suzanne and I.
Suzanne has an ebook release out. I can’t wait to read it!!!
Hugs, JJ
Delmer,
There is something very gratifying in “as-you-go” results. Wish I could have that same moment of satisfaction with the laundry…just once…
So, I guess we got our “spring” slightly out of sequence here?? Just in time to annoy kids who want hot swimming pool weather! Perfect for running and biking though!
Suzanne,
-Sounds like there are some colorful parties over at the Perazzinis!
Land Projects UK,
In Ohio we earn our summer sunshine by enduring some rather gray winter months. It’s the best!
JJ,
Thanks for sharing a little more about yourself! I enjoy peeking in on your Michigan life very much. I would love to read some of your material! Tell me where and when to look!
Heather,
Love your photos; the canoe photo is very cool ! You just keep waiting for it to flow through the picture on a warm summer day.Super colors also. You are gifted,and as always your writing makes me smile and is a joy to read. Have a great summer !
Thanks Todd,
Yes, I LOVE the splatters of color in that photo! -Hope you’re getting some paddling time this summer…?