And now for a few dozen questions about your summer

I hate to be the bearer of the news, but there are just a few weeks of summer left. Yes, I’m afraid it’s true.

Did you get around to all the things you had planned to?

Did you get all that work on the house done? Did you paint the siding, get the windows washed, hang new curtains, replace that skylight? Did you clean out the gutters, the cobwebs out of the garage, sweep the driveway, install those lights, rip out those shelves?

Did you sweep off the garage roof, wash the porch down, fix that lattice, hang that new mailbox? Did you clean the bugs out of the lights, hang the new hose reel, wash out the garbage and recyclable barrels, not to mention the water barrels?

Did you get around to fixing or replacing everything on your list? Did you finally throw out that weird stuff in the back of your garage that you can’t remember what it is or why you got it in the first place?

Whew! Me neither. Well, almost. Maybe one or two. And I had a little help with those.

Did you get all that yard work done? Did you plant that new tree, those shrubs, the tomatoes, and mulch everything well? Did you pull or kill all the weeds, plant new things, then fertilize those things?

Did you clean up the landscaping, trim the trees over the driveway, clean out that ratty part of the yard, and set up the bird bath? Did you find all the garden stepping stones and garden decor from last season? Did you buy a few more?

Did you harvest the cool things you planted, like lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and berries? Did you move the rocks to where they are supposed to be?

Wow, good job! I did too. I mean well, most of them. If you are grading on a curve…

Did you sit back and enjoy the feeling of having gotten those things done? Did you relax and enjoy the satisfaction of having done it yourself and making your world a little better and more beautiful?

Did you take pride in reviewing the list with all those projects crossed off? You should have. If you haven’t, get out there and do it right now. I mean it – stop reading and go.

Hey! Caught you. You’re still reading. Promise me you’ll do it as soon as you finish the column. OK? Alright then. Onward.

Did you get to that Brewer game? Did you hit Summerfest? Did you ride your cycle out to the Waupaca chain for a bite? Did you attend Country Fest? Take a plane ride at the EAA in Oshkosh?

Awesome, you did well. But wait … did you get around to some of the most important things to do in the summertime? Now what could that possibly be, you ask? We’ve covered quite a bit of ground so far.

Well, let’s see … did you kayak down the Plover river? Swim at a local park? Did you remember to get ice cream for no particular reason, several times? Did you go for a slow bike ride, take a walk at midnight on a beautiful summer night?

Did you listen to a great band outdoors, put your feet in a cold river, ride in a fast boat? Did you just sit in the warm sunshine for awhile and do nothing, relax on your porch and watch the world go by, or smile up at the sun with your eyes closed? Did you see a hot air balloon rally with your grandchild, walk somewhere barefooted, draw on the sidewalk with chalk?

Did you pick pretty rocks out of a mountain stream, spend a week out of state with great friends, paddle a canoe? Did you play your favorite song way too loud, and over and over? Did you take an awesome road trip, take a slow walk in the rain, dance with someone you love?

Did you hold someone dear under the fireworks, laugh so hard it hurt or made you cry, and feel so good you couldn’t stop smiling? Did you enjoy a delicious picnic in a park, celebrate a summer birthday, go camping? Did you ride your bike instead of taking the car, visit the farmer’s market, splash around in a cool stream?

Did you eat your lunch in a park, listen to the sounds of summer, get silly and didn’t care who was watching? Did you build a bonfire, blow bubbles with a child, visit a county fair? Did you build a tall sandcastle, makes s’mores, eat some corn on the cob? Did you remember to have squirt gun fight, climb a tree, nap in a hammock?

Did you share a porch swing with someone special, buy lemonade from a kid’s stand, try to catch lightning bugs? Did you discover a grass snake, pick it up and share it with a child? Did you enjoy imagining what the clouds were shaped like on a lazy afternoon? Have you used up all your water balloons?

Oh, so you did miss a few things. Well it’s not too late … you’ve got about a week and a half yet. You’d better get going.

 

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