Summer Fun!!!

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water. Loren Eiseley

To swim is to fly in a different element, and that is a delicious sensation. Jacques-Yves Cousteau

We’re beginning to work our way through the hot month of August, the last true summer month. As the month starts out, the hot weeks of late July make it more difficult to embrace the heat of August. Yet, for those of us who are water babies, there is also a sense of urgency to partake of as many water activities as possible because summer is gradually coming to a close. Soon, swimming, floating, and paddleboarding will give way to cool mornings and autumn hikes.

As much water fun as I hope to enjoy in August, I know that as the month moves along, my heart and thoughts will be drawn more and more to my favorite season, autumn. A part of me will be a little sad that summer ‘s charms will be ending…gardens & wildflowers, warm summer evenings with the occasional family barbeque, and lazy days on the water with friends. Yet, I will be ready to let that go and move into autumn with cooler days for camping, hiking, and warm lattes on a cool morning. Each season truly has its own beauty, and I count myself blessed to live in an area where I get to savor all four seasons.

Even with school starting soon and summer coming to a close, I hope and pray that each of you get out to swim in a beautiful mountain lake or even just dip your toes in a shady, forested stream this month. You might be like me and take refuge inside a cool house during the day but…go on out and enjoy a sweet summer evening while you can!