Pearls: Summer’s here, enjoy

EDITORIAL MUG: Matt Pearl

I don’t know what it is about calendars and schedules that has done it to me, but every year summer arrives officially around June 21, and I always think the same thought:

‘That’s too early. How can we have the longest day of the year a month and a half before those hot days of August?

But that was it. June 21 was the first day of summer, and now we’re on the downhill side (in terms of the length of days) toward that shortest day, this year Dec. 21.

I need to relax, though. There are still plenty of long nights for fireworks and movies and lawn chairs. We might have begun our inevitable march toward winter, but the snow is still months and months away.

So for the rest of the summer weeks and months, I have plenty of ideas to keep myself occupied.

First off, I’m pleased to report that I haven’t let my entire garden go to weeds. The tomato, pepper and cucumber plants are distinguishable and growing in clearly weeded patches of soli. They even got a little drink last weekend.

My kids love the pool, so my wife has been beating a path to the swimming spot since the Memorial Day weekend start to the pool season. I’ve even been there two or three times myself, even though I am certainly not a swimmer.

My youngest sone played his second season of tee ball this spring, so for several weeks he practiced and competed in that classic entertaining sport. We had fun going to ballgames and watching him learn about baseball, with the guidance of his dedicated (and apparently endlessly patient) coaches.

After a lifetime of independence, my grandmother is currently living at Pine View Manor in Stanberry, where she is getting fantastic care; but she also really enjoys visitors, so we’re trying to get there to see her when we can. My wife’s great-uncle also just entered Pine View as a new resident, so we have visited him a few times as well during the past few weeks.

Maybe we’ll have a vacation here or visit there. We’ll undoubtedly spend some time on the lawnmower and pulling weeds in that little garden of ours.

My father’s health isn’t what he would like it to be, but he still really enjoys fishing. We’ve been out a couple times since school ended, and we’ll be out a few more before the bell calls me back to my post.

In the meantime, my farmer neighbors will likely not have quite as much time for leisure, this being a truly busy time of year for them. When it rains – and this summer that hasn’t been as often as we might have hoped – they’re the first folks I think about. If you’re fool enough to forget that agriculture is the single most important piece of our local economy, them I don’t know what to tell you.

The Fourth is coming up, and our local communities all seem to have a lot going on around the weekend of Independence Day. Albany has the concert, Stanberry has its events and the parade, King City has its own festivities and everybody – including Union Star- has fireworks planned.

And on those rare afternoons or evenings when the schedule is fairly clear, when there are no events or swim lessons or visits to pay, give me a nice lawn chair and a glass of iced tea (I drink it unsweetened – don’t judge me.)

Regardless of how you spend your summer, I hope you are able to take a little time here and there and enjoy the moments. Work hard, but play a little, too, won’t you?

Matt Pearl owns and operates newspapers The Tri-County Ledger