I always feel sad this time of year because summer is half over and I haven’t done everything I planned. Winter is brutal and long here in Canada which makes us appreciate summer even more but even if you can’t afford to rent a cottage most of these summer pleasures are free. We still have almost a month left though….how many things have you crossed off your summer bucket list? There is still time to:
Have breakfast outside on the deck 
Dry your sheets on the line….ah the smell
Vintage clothes dryer
Go to the beach and watch the waves 
Buy some colorful beach towels 
Read a big fat beach book with your toes in the sand
The Perfect Beach Book
Build a sandcastle with some little ones
Feed the seagulls French fries 
and blueberry picking…..make a pie 
Feast on summer fruit
Lay on the grass and gaze at the stars on a starry starry night
Starry Night Over The Rhone
Visit an art gallery or museum
Watch tiny fireflies
Watch major fireworks
Toast marshmallows around a bonfire
Nap outdoors on the swing 
Barbecue a steak on a charcoal grill while camping 
Dine alfresco at a restaurant with a view of the water
Visit a farmer’s market
Peaches for Sale
Go fishing
Make a pitcher of punch or lemonade
1/3 pineapple juice, 1/3 cranberry juice. 1/3 ginger ale
Listen to summer music while driving (see Summer Playlist)
Watch a summer storm over the lake 
Drink coffee on a park bench
Pack a picnic lunch 
Have an ice cream/gelato cone
Simply the best Canadian gelato
Go to an outdoor art/craft show
Watch a sunset 
Attend an outdoor concert
Watch the sailboats race 
Eat corn on the cob and ribs
Have key lime pie for desert 
Gaze at your solar lights before bed
Watch a summer blockbuster on a hot humid day
Have an afternoon nap on a rainy day
Clean out your summer closet
Shop the summer sales (keeping in mind next years vacation)
If you’ve missed any, you still have time left – get moving, and don’t forget to wear sunscreen!
Summer sailboat
What is your favorite summertime activity?
thehomeplaceweb 
Lovely reminders of simple summer pleasures. Thank you. It is just what I needed to remember for today. 🙂
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Happy to hear it brought you some joy!
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Fantastic! The world would be a better place if all of us put more focus on this list.
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Thanks Dave…..I had fun putting it together, especially the pictures. Sometimes I think I might just like to start a photography blog…..
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Such simple summertime pleasures to savor! With triple-digit heat in central Washington state, we mostly hibernate in a/c, but I do read summer beach books, one after another. Sunday evening was cool enough for dinner alfresco on our blue and white courtyard, however. My favorite time of the day during summers is the early morning on the courtyard, with tea and prayer book and journal, and my cocker spaniel by my side.
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It has been 40 C with the humidex here for days….not weather to go out in for any length of time. Your courtyard sounds very peaceful. I highly recommend Elin Hilderbrand’s latest beach book….sometimes I get tired of her but this one was different, more concentrated on the mystery and the characters.
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. . . and eating lots of fresh blueberries and blackberries. Summer peaches are ready for harvest, too.
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I was at the farmer’s market on Saturday and the early ones were sold out here but I think they will be ready this week. I want to make jam again….and maybe blog on farmer’s markets….I wish summer would never end…..
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Wonderful post… you summed up what summer is about. Loved the photo of the storm, sleeping on porch swing, grilling a steak, sheets on the line (such a great smell), etc…. GEE, everything! 🙂
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I think your summers are rather different to ours in the UK, though this year it was exceptionally hot and for a long time – sadly over now I think. We don’t live near the sea – our closest coast is the Severn estuary and the tide goes out so far that you hardly ever see the sea itself. I do love the long daylight hours, I immediately feel more cheerful as soon as we put the clocks forward in March, and I love being able wear shorts and T shirts and live in flip-flops.
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Our summers have changed, they are longer, hotter and this year lots of rain. They also seem to persist into autumn more. We often don’t have any snow before Christmas, but then the winter lasts longer and we don’t have much spring. It seems like the seasons are shifting?
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I’m sure they are! Usually, the autumn in the U. S. Pacific Northwest and British Columbia are just perfect, with sometimes an “Indian Summer” in October following an early frost. I love that time of year after increasingly uncomfortable summers. Sometimes, however, winter hits suddenly before the autumn leaves have even begun to fall. Heavy wet snows bends laden birch branches right down to the ground.
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