Summer

Big pink peonies outside my kitchen window.

Happy first official day of Summer! Summer to me is...

• Dogs sticking their heads out of car windows, their faces look so joyful about all the smells.
• The song "Jump" by Van Halen.
• The smell of spilled stale beer.
• Not being allowed to bake or cook on the stove.  Husband Jeff complains it heats up the house too much, so we try to grill a lot or use a little propane burner on the deck.  We even put our little electric steamer in the garage or on the deck. 
• A leafy archway on our tree-lined street greeting me as I come and go from our house.
• Awesome local produce at the farmers' markets, especially the one only a few blocks from our house.
• Peonies out my kitchen window.
• Freezing in buildings because of so much air conditioning.  I actually need to remember more layers in summer than spring or fall.  Summer at my office definitely doesn't mean cute summer clothes at work, I always end up wearing pants and ensuring I have a sweater or something to cover up with. 
• Harvesting ultra-fresh vegetables from our garden.
• Fresh corn on the cob loaded up with butter and salt.
• Exploring construction vehicles for Sonny D and Husband Jeff.
• Cute polish colors for pedicures because people will actually see your feet!
• Willingly going to the basement to hang out and enjoy the cold air.  
• Iced coffee... that I have to end up sharing with Sonny D.  He loves a sweet & creamy coffee, hot or cold.  Luckily I always drink decaf.
• Choosing lunch spots based on outdoor seating.  
• The constant annoying whine of lawn implements from our neighbors, blowers, mowers, string trimmers, etc.  Sometimes I grumble about it and wish that it was hot enough that we need to turn on the air conditioning so we can close up the windows to avoid hearing it as much.
• Needing to worry about the mosquitoes as soon as I leave the house. Oh, and the threat of ticks.  Yuck! 
• Browsing through other people's things at rummage sales.  I love discovering things I recognize from my childhood or things I kind of wish I had but don't really need. 
• Delicious tomatoes that you can only get this time of year.
• An overloaded schedule because you're trying to take advantage of the nice weather and see all your friends.
• Early sunrise and late sunset.
• The smell of campfires.

What does summer mean to you?  What are your favorite signs of summer?