I wake up slowly. I am not a morning person. On most Saturday mornings, I like to sit with a cup of coffee on the wicker couch on the screen porch, and just listen as the neighborhood comes to life. I woke this morning at 8:30 (or I should say that I got out of bed at 8:30 – I woke much earlier to Katie poking my side, begging to climb into our bed) at sat in the Summer warmth, shaded by the neighbor’s maple tree, and watched the sunlight from the rising run play on rhododendrons. I am fortunate that Edith is an early riser – she is always up before me (not as a rule, simply as a fact) and I am spoiled in that the coffee is perked and waiting for me when I shuffle into the kitchen. From there it is a short walk to the porch.
In the morning, I appreciate peace and quiet. On a Summer morning on my porch, I listen to the birds as they flutter their wings at the feeders, to the familiar chirp of the cardinals, and the melody of the mockingbirds. I listen as the squirrels clamber on the dogwood tree; at this point in mid-July, I am also greeted by the drone of this year’s cycle of cicadas. Now and then I hear the footfall of morning joggers, or the rattle of a leash as a dog walker ambles down the street for their pet’s business trip.
This past week, Katie and I were discussing our favorite seasons. She asked me what I liked about each of them, and which was my favorite. I told her I like Summer a lot, for the usual reasons: extended daylight, warmer weather, more time spent doing things outdoors like taking care of our gardens, and vacations down the shore. This morning I realized another reason: the sounds we only hear at this time of the year. On a Summer day I will hear lawnmowers, water sprinklers, neighbor kids playing basketball in their driveways, or squealing as they splash in their backyard pools. On some evenings there will be a party, with certain Summer music playing loud enough to hear several houses away. There’s the ice cream truck, and the sounds of fireworks from a neighboring town.
I like the Fall for the colors and the crispness of the air; I like the Spring for the promise it brings of new life after a cold and harsh Winter, but all things considered I guess I just like Summer the best.
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