The Joys of Summer by Diane Burton

As July comes to an end, summer is at its zenith. Heat and humidity, daylight until 10 pm, violent thunderstorms, ducklings swimming in the pond. The County Fair with corn dogs and funnel cakes, 4-H’ers showing off their skills, midway carnival rides, carneys enticing kids (and parents) to part with their money, baby animals looking for handouts.

While I’m not fond of heat, I do love the tastes of summer, beginning with strawberry season. Backbreaking work for adults. A fun time for kids.

Now blueberries are their peak. Big and luscious. Easier to pick than strawberries.

 Soon, we’ll have cucumbers, green beans, and corn. Already Hubs’ tomatoes are ready to eat. Growing up in a family of nine, a garden definitely reduced the grocery bill. Although I would have been satisfied with just eating the veggies, Mom always made hamburgers or chicken so we’d have some protein. A roadside stand helped my sister and I earn money, even though zucchini were so plentiful, we couldn’t give them away.

The best part of summer these days is the annual visit from our Arizona family. What is becoming a tradition started in 2014 with Son getting married on a Lake Michigan beach. Daughter-in-law suggested spending their anniversary in Michigan. Needless to say, I was thrilled. 

Work gets set aside, email goes unread, My WIP can wait when family is here.  

During this visit, Baby Girl walked on her own for the first time. Tentatively at first then gaining confidence. Since we all clapped and grinned, she showed off more, especially in her R2D2 costume.

Toys from our neighborhood garage sales and those our kids played with appealed to her curiosity. New (for her) books, too. She kept bringing Baby Bugs by Tom Arma to us to read to her. Then she sat on the floor and “read” to us. Sure wish I knew what she was saying.

Watching my grandchildren play together fills me with so much joy. Nothing beats having my whole family together. And a great neighbor with a camera capturing the moment.

 Diane Burton writes romantic suspense, mysteries, and science fiction romance. She blogs here on the 30th of the month, on Paranormal Romantics on the 13th, and on her own blog on Mondays. Her newest sci-fi romance novella, Mission to New Earth, will be released next month.