As you read this (that's right, both of you - I see you ), you may or may not be aware of the beginning of a new season on this day, namely the official First Day of Summer.
In Canada, this revered season brings us temperate, and intemperate, weather, enabling us to enjoy the out of doors - unless of course, you're like my daughters and your fair skin doesn't so much tan as burn into a lobster-like condition.
In this case, you might be hiding from the sun, or slathering sunblock on yourself with the highest rating possible (60 or higher if it's available) while dreading days of 30 degrees and above.
For most people, however, aside from the mosquitoes and the ticks and the wasps, and aside from the possibility of having skin cancer, summer is a time when you don't have to worry about warm clothes, but you can be out biking or hiking, walking or running, or swimming, or travelling, or whatever else you might want to do in the great outdoors, most of which isn't possible in the wintertime.
Some activities are, of course, and there is a hardy breed of Canadian who enjoys the outdoors regardless of the temperature, high or low. These people, however, are what we might call um "crazy" but in a good way.
I myself like the sun as I am actually able to tan (but then I run the risk of skin cancer, and I don't really want that), but I enjoy summer weather in all its forms, especially the stormier forms.
The downpours and the incessant rain of this spring I could really do without - but give me a good, highly active thunderstorm, and I'm there, hopefully with a camera in working order and my tripod, and hopefully without a downpour.
If I had the time and freedom to go traipsing cross-country storm-chasing, I would love to do that some time, but I'm afraid that's become somewhat of a fad as storm-chasers now go around giving seminars on how to chase and photograph storms. The photographing aspect I pretty much have down pat; it's the opportunities to see storms that I lack at times.
I think I would like to get back into some fishing this year after a couple years away from the pastime; I know fishing can occur in wintertime through the ice, I prefer a warm, sunny day by the shore of a lake, casting my lure into the water in the hopes of landing a nice-sized fish.
The beauty of summer is everyone has their own particular activity of enjoyment; for some it may be as simple as going for an evening walk, or gardening; whatever it is, make sure this is a summer you will remember.
