Simple Summer Pleasures

It’s time for Friday Five linkup with DC area bloggers Courtney at Eat Pray Run DC, Cynthia at You Signed Up for What?!, and Mar at Mar on the Run!  Be sure to stop by their blogs and say hello!  While you’re there, be sure to check out other bloggers who are participating in the linkup, too.  This week the DC Trifecta chose Five Favorite Summer Activities as the theme. 

 

“Aaah, summer – that long anticipated stretch of lazy, lingering days,
free of responsibility and rife with possibility.
It’s a time to hunt for insects, master handstands,
practice swimming strokes, conquer trees,
explore nooks and crannies,
and make new friends.”

~ Darell Hammond

 

 

Summer – the simple life…  A time to kickback and relax…  A time for running in only shorts and a tank…  A time for evening walks after dinner, baseball games on TV every night, and standing out in the cul-de-sac chatting with friends…  A time for seeing neighbors who’ve been holed up inside all winter…  A time to see baby birds and baby bunnies…  A time dip your toes in the pool and run after the ice cream man when you hear the bell…

All of these are some of the wonders that summertime brings, but in the spirit of Friday Five, I’ll narrow it down to my favorite five.  So here you go, five of my favorite simple summer time pleasures….

 

1.  Bill and I love watching our bluebirds and cardinals flit around in our back yard, and even bought another new bluebird house this spring.  Our ducks swim back and forth in the creek diving with their little butts stuck up in the air and make us laugh.  We watch the creek with the hopes of seeing a mama duck or goose swim by with her adorable little fuzzy babies.

2.  Rather than going out, Bill and I would much rather have friends over for shrimp on the grill, a fresh summer salad, and a bottle or two of wine while kicked back on our deck.

3.  I love coming in from a long run and sitting in the creek in my back yard to cool my legs.  I don’t love the non-poisonous water snakes that I see in there occasionally.  It’s beautiful to watch how gracefully they move through the water, yet something about water snakes creeps me out, and on those days I steer clear of the creek.

4.  Every summer my mom’s family holds a family reunion on my uncle and aunt’s property. It’s become a tradition for my cousins and me to take a hike through the ice cold spring water as we make our way to the natural spring at the top of the mountain.  Pools of water up to five feet deep look like stepping stones terraced by little water falls one after another all the way up.

5.  With a stack of books, several cameras, our running shoes, and absolutely no plans other than to have a relaxing time together, Bill and I try to spend a week or two at our family beach house each summer.  It’s our time to relax and unwind, and I cherish it tremendously!

 

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some summer activities to attend to!

 

• Questions:
• What are some of your favorite summer activities?
• When was the last time you caught a lightening bug?
• Are you racing this weekend?