… and the livin’ is easy… fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high… What IS summer like where you live? Besides hot sunny weather, what makes it “summer” for you? Activities to enjoy? Places to visit? People to spend time with?
My Favourite (Summer) Things
- Sunny days, cool green grass, shady trees and a gentle breeze
- Water – lakes, streams, ponds, pools, even lawn sprinklers
- Al fresco dining – family BBQs, picnicking with friends, or weeknight bistro dining on the balcony
- Lazy days – watching old movies, reading a book, cottaging with a friend or two
Photo credit: picjumbo.com – Relaxing Moments (bench under tree)
What are Your Favourite Summer Things?
Share your SUMMER FUN STORY in the comments section (below). Or, write about them in your blog and link back to www.verawrites.com.
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Continuing the “summertime” theme…What was the best summer job you ever had? Write about it and share it with us!
HERE’S MY SUMMER JOB STORY
After 4 years of university I was ready for a break! So, I took a seasonal job (May through September) as a tour guide – on boats. Operating out of a slip at the foot of Toronto’s busiest street, right next to a major hotel, these European-style glass-sided boats drew tourists and city residents who enjoyed the waterfront along Lake Ontario.
Harbour & Islands Boat Tours was a family business run by a mother-and-daughter team. I was a bit intimidated when auditioning for the job, but the boss lady was impressed by my smooth voice and lovely inflections. (Who knew that childhood poetry recitals at cultural events would come in handy?)
So began my summer adventure, with 15 other students. We worked rain or shine, with 2 customers or 30. One cloudy day, 3 passengers, a nervous captain and a tour guide (me) cast off. It began to drizzle as we entered the waterways of Centre Island, and thunder and lightning kicked up as we took a hairpin turn under the bridge. Thud! Sssscrape. Bump bump bump… but we made it!
Skyline from Islands on a stormy day
Skyline from Islands on a sunny day
We had a second tour location further down the lakeshore at a tourist attraction called Ontario Place. Boasting a huge IMAX theatre, marina, lakeside bistros, amusement park and an outdoor concert arena, it was a popular place for locals and tourists. Boat Tours ran one boat from there, so it was just the ticket seller, captain and tour guide at the tiny kiosk – no bosses!
http://www.boomsbeat.com/articles/1899/20140331/beautiful-pods-in-canada-ontario-place-photos.htm Check out these amazing images of Ontario Place, the lakeshore, Toronto skyline and more!
The Ontario Place run was the dream gig and I was thrilled whenever it was my turn to go. Even the boat ride over to OP from the main slip was exciting! When we cruised past the Western Gap, large waves undulated in from the open waters and tossed our glass-sided boat like a piece of driftwood. I loved it! The other perk was meeting the summer students who worked at the Food Court right next to our kiosk – and the free goodies they supplied. Sigh… it was like working at a resort!
On top of having fun in the sun by the lake, I also earned a bonus of $1 for every hour I worked – almost $800 – which helped launched me on my life of freedom when I moved away from home. But that’s another story….
Would you take a few minutes to write up YOUR Summer Fun story? Whether it’s a nostalgic trip down memory lane, or something summery that you enjoy right now! I would love to hear (read) about it and share the experience with you J
THANK YOU!
Photo Credits: Ondrej Mihal, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
verawrites 
What an interesting topic. And a challenge. I would have to think more about this but I like the idea. Here, summer means scorching heat, but also my birthday, so that offsets things somewhat. Loved your story. Cottaging must be Canadian. I think we would refer to that as getting or going to a summer house. Nice, Vera!
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My sister lives in Arizona so they have dry HOT summers – they go to San Diego on vacation 🙂 Going to the cottage is a Canadian pastime and folks who have cottages often go year-round as they tend to be up north in country surrounded by hills and forests. (I coined the word ‘cottaging’). It’s nice being on a lake, surrounded by trees and greenery – relaxing and refreshing. I’m going in 2 weeks – can’t wait! Write when you think of something to share – I’d love to hear what summer adventures others have had 🙂
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Summertime is sweating profusely in this city of motorbikes. I can’t wait to fly home soon even though it’s cold back home, 🙂
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It’s hotter in the heart of city and on roads here too – not just vehicles but the concrete traps the heat and pollution. That’s why I like living beside the river with greenery all around. Enjoy your trip home Jess 🙂
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