That Time Of Year Again

Yup. It’s summer.

Great.

Grab yourself a cuppa and some biscuits. How are you all? Busy? Making the most of the month with as many barbecues as possible? Kicking back on some beach with sun tan lotion and a good book? Looking forward to autumn?

Possibly not that last one…

Which is your favourite season? Summer isn’t mine. Getting ready to hide away for the summer again. I guess it’s kind of like a reverse hibernation. You know, instead of feeding myself up like a bear then tucking myself in to a nice cave and sleeping through the winter, I usually try to avoid the heat and bright lights of the summer.

Admittedly I don’t sleep through it, but sometimes it’s tempting. If I could get to sleep easily, that is. So, for winter, read summer; for cave, read cooler climate.

Photo by Janko Ferlic on Pexels.com

Ah!

Does that mean I can routinely stuff my face for a few weeks beforehand? Probably not. Again, it’s equally tempting. Can you imagine going to your favourite fast food joint, already wrapped up in a sleeping bag, like someone who strayed off the track in a school sack race, only to reappear thirty years later, ravenous.

You order everything on the menu. The server looks over your shoulder to see where the other dozen people are, before giving you your various bags and boxes. You then shuffle carefully away and start munching through your haul. The Very Hungry Caterpillar would be so proud. And then, at home, with a satisfied series of belches, you hunker down and wake up at about half-past February.

Oh well.

A vampire can dream.

But -shock horror – I’m actually staying put for once. Why? Well, partly because I got caught out by the unexpected heat earlier on this year but mostly because where I live is now decidedly un-summery.

Q: How do you know when it’s summer in Wales?

A: The rain is warmer.

And this is why I’m not going anywhere. It’s warm (but bearable). Every day for the past fortnight has been either grey, drizzly, rainy or windy. Or all of them. All at once. Now, I have two settings for my footwear – boots or sandals. Luckily I didn’t pack away my boots. Does anyone else have a similar either/or dichotomy in their footwear?

Photo by JACK REDGATE on Pexels.com

Besides, there’s the garden. It’ll need tending. Currently, it’s producing more food than I know what to do with. I wouldn’t want to leave it and come back to find it’s turned into a jungle and I’m spending the rest of the year trying to appease the new insect overlords.

I’m not good with insects. I mean, I don’t go crawling up their legs, do I? And now the neighbours are all aware of my vocal range (about three octaves).

Photo by David Riau00f1o Cortu00e9s on Pexels.com

Anyway, that’s me. I’d love to hear how you spend your summer. Do you go out of your way to find sunshine? Do you take up summer-related pastimes? Let me know in the comments!

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For anyone wanting to read all my rants in one place – including all-new exclusive stuff, then click below!

Volume 1 of my diary – why not start at the very beginning?

Volume 2 – more rants, musings and fairly useful advice

Volume 3 – things are afoot! The thot plickens…