Summer Lovin'

Last week, Oregon experienced a bit of a heat wave. It was over 80 degrees here, and I thought for a moment that we had skipped completely past Spring to arrive at Summer. I cranked the air conditioner and attempted to cool myself off, all the while grateful that I wouldn't have to endure a pregnancy past the middle of May. And as quickly as it arrived, it was gone. We went from the 80s to the 50s overnight.

I believe that nothing evokes vivid memories like the weather. The beginning of the summer always brings a flood of memories:

The smell of bleach as I scrub my tote tray in my shorts and t-shirt on one of the final days of school.

The sound of passing traffic as I ride my bike to the neighborhood 7-11 on a lazy day of summer.

The exhilarating feel of the wind in my hair as I ride to lunch with my best friends in an open-top jeep on the day of yearbook signing.

The sound of the Scorpions blasting from the radio, the bass speaker thumping behind me, as my brother and I drive from yard to yard with our lawnmowers in the back of our small red pick-up.

And now, this