Summer is one of my favorite times of the year. A New Englander by birth, I have always savored the sultry months and their sweet respite from dark, chill and rain. I cannot fight the excitement of the later sunny days of spring, as, surrounded in a luxury of green and blossoms, I sigh and thank God for the changing seasons, in spite of my allergies. Like a school kid delirious with spring fever I am completely distracted from life’s disturbing challenges and my attention drawn entirely to the natural world.

Apart from (or part and parcel of, perhaps) my love for summer weather, is the sentimentality that I associate with this time of the year. As a child, summer was always a favorite: a time for making memories. Long days, late nights, swim suits and shorts, cookouts and hours in the pool at Grandma’s house, cousins, sleepovers and camping. What’s not to love about summer?

While I detest temperatures that spike into the 100’s and the humidity with which New England is most often plagued, I cannot help but love this season!

At the top of my list of summer loves is swimming. Although I’ve been somewhat swimsuit shy in recent years, I am still not at all reluctant to dive in. Modesty is easily cast aside to enjoy a bit of the cool clear chlorinated waters that beckon to my heart through the rising waves of heat, inviting me to quench the thirst of my every fiber. No less tempting are the vibrant living waters of the sea which soothe me with their saltiness and transport me to memories of the beaches which I have visited over a lifetime.

Oh sure, I can swim anywhere, anytime, given a great gym membership and an Olympic size pool. Been there, done that. But nothing compares to the tingle of the sun as it laps up the lazy drops of water, remnants of my swim, producing the most wonderful Mediterranean tan ever. I love the sunning part almost as much as the swimming itself.

So tell me…. What’s your summer favorite? Flaunt It!