It seems that the weather this summer has been on again, off again. It’s been warm and sunny, but each day it seems the wind is up one day and gone the next.  Almost, every other day the lake is calm and then, the next, churned and frothy. Yesterday was one of the calm days.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

I let the kids sleep late in the morning; I’ve been letting them sleep as long as they can. They stay up late along the lake, all of the lake kids do. It gets dark close to ten and it is hard to tell the kids, ‘you gotta go to bed and rest.’ So, I don’t – call me a bad parent. I know there were nights growing up in the summer when we were out late in the neighborhood, catching fireflies, playing baseball in the yard, hide and seek, tag, and all sorts of other fun summer games. Besides, I stay up later in the summer than I normally do (yeah, it is because I let the kids stay out late), but, I’m up early in the morning before they get up. That way, I can get some of my stuff done before they wake and the day starts.

I got some serious weeding done yesterday. I fried my back in less than an hour Monday, so I worked in the shade and pulled, dug, clawed, and yanked weeds for over an hour before O came and asked to go swimming. I stopped working to watch as she and Ivy played in the lake. W went for a run, and I hoped to get back to work and weeding in the late afternoon, I never did.

The kids made get well cards for grandpa and I went to town to get them in the mail and on their way. It was a multi-stop trip – dog food, groceries (milk and ice cream), and the dump. Town was short and sweet, especially the dump!  I had other errands and stops, but they’ll have to wait for today, or another day. I have a time deadline this morning and a few things on my list, they require help and W is up at nine, he’s been warned.

I made a dry run for my ‘throw-down menu’ for when Aunt Jill comes back to the cottage. We had burgers, dogs, baked beans, cucumbers and red onion salad, and blueberries and strawberries with ice cream for dessert. The kids love my beans and hold my accountable when they’re ‘not right,’ when I miss adding an ingredient. I don’t measure but they include four kinds of canned beans – baked, white, pinto, and black beans mixed with brown sugar, ketchup,  mustard, garlic, pepper and salt, bacon, and onion. They are delicious and usually leftovers are prized for lunch boxes or breakfast.

The weather yesterday was fabulous; it was one of the calm days. The lake was calm all day long, it got warm in the afternoon, but the evening was amazing. I thought of my sister-in-law, Aunt Jill when I looked up. I look up, often when we are here. We are far enough away from a big city that the clouds and haze I normally see in Chicago, or I remember from growing up in Houston, does not obscure the sky. The sky here is blue, a vibrant blue. It only gets that way at home on a cold clear winter day after a storm, and then, only for a day. Here, it’s that way for days on end. Aunt Jill calls it ‘the big sky.’ I thought of her as I was grilling the burgers. I was glad we got to visit last week, even if it was a for a day and she was really here for grandpa. I know she didn’t get to really enjoy the cottage, or the lake.

I pulled out the camera to capture the sky. I had fun snapping shots, here and there; W asked what in the world I was doing. Originally, the idea was to catch the big blue sky, but when the sun began to set, I changed my mind and included sunset images. All of the shots below were taken between 6:00 and 10:00, except for two shots:  the shot of the moon over the lake and the morning shot of the misty lake and the sunrise. The last moon shot was taken after eleven. I would have completely missed it had it not been for W who came downstairs to get a drink or something. And, the misty shot, I looked up from writing at just the right moment this morning. Ferris Bueller had it right when he said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Last night, as the sun set, a chill fell across the lake. I opened the windows throughout the cottage, to let it in. I had to cover up with a blanket last night to stay warm. Summer nights at the cottage often include temps down in the fifties, it’s one of the best parts of being in the Midwest.

Today is gonna be a great. I know it; I can feel it and it’s already off to a great start. I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Today is gonna be a great day. Like Ferris, I don’t want to miss it. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, savoring summer days, nights, and moments.

What is your favorite part of summer? Or a favorite summer memory?