It is summer time here in Maple Ridge and although I am not a big fan of heat, I am learning to appreciate a break from incessant rain and rationed sunlight, in short the bleak winters. Spring is pretty but Summers are special here - longer daylight means you get to enjoy the outdoors even after coming from work. It means that you open your eyes at daybreak with light streaming through the blinds. It means that morning does equal to daylight and you are ready to welcome a new day.
Summer can be defined as no coats, no boots, no layering of clothes, wear your flipflops and shorts and you are ready to go, season. Your hats and sunglasses take on a new meaning and so does sunblocks. Ice creams and water melons, beer and barbeque all fight to shine in the spotlight. Lakes are packed with revellers wanting to soak in the warmth of the sun, and beachsides are potentially packed. It is the time to tie up your hiking boots, and inhale the fresh cut grass and pine cones. I am going to omit the odours of marijuana that creeps in through the windows - a mild irritant and focus on the aromas of meat cooking on barbeque.
Summers as I mentioned earlier are special - kids are off school, and that translates to dropping or picking them up from school, no lunches and potentially half an hour extra to sleep in, It also means planning family trips, or weekend getaways. We still do get rain - and that is okay since it keeps the land green and fresh. You are introduced to your neighbours who were hibernating in the past 7 months, and with the now open windows, the sounds of birds and laughter of kids, along with some hammering noise or drilling noise is usual. This is the time to clean up your yard, fix up your backyard, your roof and all the things that you have postponed till the weather got friendlier .
Considering, how short the warm weather lasts, it does seem very futile to complain about it, especially on days when it gets really hot. I have to admit that cranked up heat, cranks me up but with age I am learning to appreciate the change in seasons. The best part of summer is the freedom to step out anytime of the day . Here I am writing this blog late at night, sitting out on the patio, drifting my eyes time and again from the bright screen to admire the starry starry night. The limitless sky has always amazed me. The wonderous joy of standing under a clear dark sky, with stars staring down at you has always been one of my favorite ways to unwind. Every summer, we try and go to some place and just lie on the grass counting the shooting stars. You are paradoxically reminded both of the insignficance of your presense as well as your stupendous luck in being a spectator in the display of nature's miracle.
Of course we also have the mosquitoes, the flies and all the insects that come alive with the touch of heat. But then, there are also butterflies, and chirping of birds, and the cool beautiful nights. You can sit on the deck for ages, breathe in the cool air, and listen to the rustling of leaves and far away traffic. Although ideally, my summer night would be spent on the oceanside falling asleep listening to the crashing waves and waking up to the same beat. My memories of Indian nights - especially summer nights when you got to sleep on the terrace and filled with beautiful One day - maybe. For now I am enjoying my freedom of keeping the doors and windows open, and letting the sounds filter through - some natural and some man-made, both equally loved.
No comments:
Post a Comment