Twelve Things I Like About Summer

In general, I'm not a big fan of Summer. It's too hot, too bug-infested. I dislike chlorinated water and sand in my...derriere. I prefer weather that requires you to put on a sweater and fire up the teakettle.

But I try to practice gratitude in every season. So here's what I do love about Summer, which officially begins in two weeks

My roses. They are their glorious best in the Summer:

Sitting on the porch, front or back, with the pugs for company.  Especially after the day's heat has dissipated but the sky is still light. 

My hydrangeas. So long as I keep them well watered, they reward me with beautiful blues, pinks, periwinkles, and lavenders all season long.

Desserts based on Summer fruits: first the strawberries, then the raspberries/blackberries/blueberries, then the lovely stone fruits of peach and nectarine.

Starbucks iced coffee. Never touch the stuff in the winter, even when it's balmy here in L.A. For me, iced coffee is the official drink of Summer.

Lazing about in the hammock under the deep shade of our Sycamore trees with something good to read and something good to drink. And a pug or three for company.

Watermelon. The cute, fat, seedless kind that fits neatly on your refrigerator shelf.

Sun-ripened tomatoes and fresh basil. This year, I am especially looking forward to harvesting both of these from our own garden.

Our week on the lake, high in the Sierra Nevada. Simply put, it is Heaven on Earth.

 Did I mention tomatoes already? I did? Well, they deserve another mention!

 Not to mention cheap, plentiful Summer squash...

And fresh corn on the cob. In a miracle of serendipity, there is a family-run farm right smack dab in the middle of this city that supplies endless heaps of fresh, sweet corn to its customers all Summer long. Corn picked in the morning and consumed before nightfall is so sweet, it doesn't even need to be cooked.

Dog beaches. The closest one is pretty far away, but I am determined to get the pugs there at least once this Summer. Pao Pao has never been to a beach before, never seen the ocean.

It'll blow his mind.