Summer officially arrived this week. It arrived amidst sunshine and great joy to finally have a nice day to enjoy. So apart from the day on the calendar, announcements on TV and radio and sunshine, how can I be sure it’s summer? These are some of my favorite ways.

1. The garden needs weeding.

2. The fruit trees are just passing full bloom. 

3. I smell barbecue meals cooking.

4. Walking is so easy (No snow. No mud. No heavy coats and boots.) and such fun. In town, I can admire the thriving yards and out of town, I enjoy the smell of fresh green leaves and listen to birds.

5. Wild roses are just beginning to blossom.  Does anything smell finer than the perfume of wild roses?

6.Green.  Everything is green as far as the eye can see. Which means lots of mowing. Which reminds me of something cute and amusing. The grass clippings are bagged and taken to the cows. For some reason they love the offering. I don’t know why. Is it less work to eat grass freshly cut then chomp it off themselves? Or does our lawn grass taste better? Anyway, as soon as the mower starts the cows run up to the fence, jostling for position and mooing in anticipation. It’s hilarious.

What about you? What things signal summer in your world?