SUMMERTIME…
… 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

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 http://www.verawrites.com.

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Welcome to NOSTALGIA CORNER!
Continuing the “summertime” theme…What was the best summer
job you ever had? Write about it and share it with us!
Here’s my 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, enjoying ‘holiday mode’ by 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 lightening kicked up as we took a hairpin turn under the bridge. Thud! Sssscrape. Bump bump bump… but we made it!
Toronto Skyline from Islands – Overcast
Skyline from Islands – Sunny
Photo Credits: Ondrej Mihal, Toronto, ON, Canada
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 amazingly images of Ontario, the lakeshore, Toronto skyline and more!
That was the dream gig and I was thrilled whenever it was my turn to go. It was exciting driving the boat from the main slip to Ontario Place – when we passed the Western Gap, large waves undulated in from the open waters and tossed out glass-sided boat like a piece of driftwood. 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 
THANK YOU!