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Ah, summer.
We are in the midst of summer. The temperatures are sizzling hot, especially in the afternoons. It’s swimming pool weather.
Many are enjoying their days camping, boating, hiking in the mountains, or bike riding in the morning and evenings on the Tweetsie Trail.
Summer, for many people, is more than just a date on a calendar. It’s a sensation and a ritual. It’s almost an emotion.
Summer is that feeling of exultation when kids burst out of school on the last day, eager to get a start on weeks of doing something, anything, that isn’t sitting at a desk. Fall can be less about when the leaves drop than it can be about kids being ready to head back to class. For a lot of kids, that could be here already.
Summer is that heady rush of carnivals and fairs. It’s sharing cotton candy with a friend and splitting a Popsicle. Fun times are here as Kingsport Fun Fest is underway, and Elizabethton Covered Bridge Days is just weeks away. Many churches have already had their Vacation Bible Schools, others are planning mission trips.
And, remember when you in your much younger days used to spend the evening catching lightning bugs in a jar?
Summer is heat and fun, yes, but it’s also about spontaneity and creativity. It’s not having a pool, but having a blast in the sprinkler. It’s turning a backyard picnic into a beach vacation. It’s camping in the living room when it rains.
Locally, the Franklin Pool is open. If you want to listen to live music, the yearly Concerts In the Park offer a free performance every Saturday evening, and if you like old cars – cars of any kind – venture downtown. Also, there are plenty of good eating places in downtown.
And, each Tuesday afternoon, the farmers market sets up in the Covered Bridge Park. It’s an oasis of arts and crafts, jams and jellies, and fresh produce.
If you prefer a good book, visit the Elizabethton-Carter County Public Library, and browse the shelves for an interesting book.
Summer isn’t just that day on the calendar, but the day has come and we are in the midst of it. It’s up to us to make summer what we want it to be.
Who wants a Popsicle?