Ode to Summer

In just a few short days my favorite season will officially begin.  Maybe it's because I'm a June baby and was lucky enough to partake in beach birthday celebrations and other outdoor activities in the warm light of the sun.  Or maybe it's just something inherently built in me that warrants my fervent love for summertime.  When I think of summer, I think of the smell of suntan lotion, tanned skin, the stiffness of your hair after taking a dip in the salty ocean, or the way your skin feels after spending a day in the chlorinated pool... Ahh yes, summertime...

This summer, I can already tell, will be just a bit different from summers past.  I turned on the news a few nights ago to the local weather man dancing across the screen proclaiming the entire state of South Carolina was currently in a "heat advisory".  I looked down at the clock, 6:15PM.  I then glanced outside and noted that the sun was still high over head as if it were only noon.  The weatherman then pointed to a yellow and red chart that flashed across the screen and explained that when the temperature rises to 100 degrees, the heat index feels like it's about 105 and we should all take caution to, as he put it, "use common sense".  He didn't stop there, he continued on to say we had reached 100 degrees that day, but not to worry... we didn't beat the record.  We missed it by 2...Thanks weatherman.  It has been in the nineties for about the past month here so I can say I'm getting at least acquainted with the heat.  100 degrees and the official start of summer hasn't kicked in... I think I'm in for an experience.

Nevertheless, walking outside in this type of heat has some upsides.  Iced tea, lemonade, heck even a cold beer could not possibly taste better in such sweltering temperatures; and although I feel ridiculously hot and sticky, so does everyone else!

There are good things about the heat.  Not ever having to grab a sweater before walking out the door is a blissful convenience.  Who wants to bother with big bulky clothes? The heat welcomes tank tops, sundresses and shorts.  Summertime is also wonderfully classified by long days with lots of sunshine and plenty of chances to soak up that vitamin D that everyone is saying people should be getting more of.  The season invokes smells of family and neighborhood barbecues, picnic tables, burgers and for a kid, a chance to stay up past bedtime since it stays light out for so long.  Watermelon should be named the official fruit of the season because it never tastes better than in does on a hot summer day.  Lounging at the beach or by the poolside are not looked at as laziness but as merely embracing and celebrating the season.  What could be better than summertime?

So even though its sweltering outside, I'm ready to welcome summer - bring on the sunscreen, barbecues and sundresses and even that hot southern heat.