Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.
Henry James
I’m sitting in the waiting room at the optometrist’s office, on a relatively warm afternoon (it’s maybe 30C / 86 F) and a woman asks me how I like the heat.
”I love it! How about you?”
She shakes her head. “It’s too hot.”
You must not be a native Kamloopsian, I think. Talk to me about it being too hot when we get to 40C. Or maybe don’t. Do you not remember the never-ending winter we just came through?
All evidence points to summer but we have yet to turn the air conditioner on. I hold off as long as possible; I like open doors and windows and fresh air. Still, I’d sure like to see a string of good, old-fashioned Kamloops hot summer days that make it uncomfortable to sleep at night and force me to switch on the AC. If the forecasters are to be believed, they’re right around the corner.
Meanwhile, thankful for rain and rainbows, we feast on summer’s finest treats. Salad, made with freshly picked produce is on the menu almost daily, along with a rotation of beetroot and greens, Swiss chard, and peas from the garden. The freezer is filling with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, Swiss chard, and pesto. The windowsill in my kitchen is adorned with plates of drying lavender, parsley, thyme, and oregano.
It’s summer. But I’m still waiting for summer.
I love summer! Bring on the heat!
Yes!