Summer Breeze

There’s nothing as delightful as a summer breeze.  It’s especially welcome after a long hot and humid spell, when the wind suddenly swings to the north dropping the temperature by over ten degrees.

My childhood bedroom faced south and I have memories of waking up on a June morning to a cool breeze, blowing the white curtains into the room like billowing ghosts.   I still like the sight of gauzy curtains dancing in an open window. 

curtains blowing in the breeze

Yes, back in the days before A/C, we used to sleep with the windows open all summer.   The upstairs bedrooms in our old farmhouse would get pretty hot in the dog days of August, but I don’t remember it being brutally hot all summer like it is now.   I put the A/C on the third week of May, and except for a few cooler days in June when I could open the windows and air out the house, it will stay on until late September.

On July 1, Canada Day, what’s more symbolic of patriotism than a flag snapping in the wind, beside a maple tree.

Canadian flag

Oh Canada!

The sight of sheets flapping in the breeze is a lovely thing, with the added bonus of that wonderful fresh-air sun-drenched smell when you drift off to sleep.

sheets on the line

While I may get refreshing north breezes on my back deck, I have to move under the shade trees if the winds are from the south – a perfect spot for dining alfresco.   (table photo from Pinterest but see The Corona Diaries next week for my latest scavenger find)table under shade trees

Add in some poetry:

Victoria poem Bliss Breeze

Poem from Victoria July 1999 issue

And some music:   (The lyrics of this oldie but goodie paint a perfect picture – “Sweet days of summer, the jasmine’s in bloom.  July is dressed up and playing her tune”)     

And you have the ingredients for a perfect summer day.   As Henry James proclaimed,  “Summer afternoon, summer afternoon, to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”

A swing or hammock gently swaying in the breeze can lull you to sleep while you’re reading. 

Hammock

A cool breeze on a hot day at the beach makes for awesome waves.

Beach Waves on the water

Seagull

Surf’s Up!

And what’s a sail without a good stiff south wind.  

sailboat river

I was surprised they held the annual sailboat race this year, although there weren’t as many entries.   The music and food festivals were all cancelled, but spectators could still line the shore and watch the parade of boats go by.

sailboat race

Sailboats social distancing….

Finally, there’s nothing like sitting on the deck with a cold one when the heat of the day is over and an evening breeze descends to cool everything off. 

Root Beer float

An old-fashioned root beer float…

Wherever you are, may the rest of your summer be a breeze!   

Lyrics:  “Summer Breeze”  1972 Seals and Croft

See the curtains hangin’ in the window
In the evening on a Friday night
A little light a-shinin’ through the window
Lets me know everything’s all right

 

Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowin’ though the jasmine in my mind

See the paper layin’ on the sidewalk
A little music from the house next door
So I walk on up to the doorstep
Through the screen and across the floor

Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind

Sweet days of summer, the jasmine’s in bloom
July is dressed up and playing her tune
And I come home from a hard day’s work
And you’re waitin’ there
Not a care in the world

See the smile awaitin’ in the kitchen
Through cookin’ and the plates for two
Feel the arms that reach out to hold me
In the evening when the day is through

Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowing through the jasmine in my mind
Summer breeze makes me feel fine
Blowing through the jasmine in my mind

 

The Regatta

 

 

 

38 thoughts on “Summer Breeze”

    • Joni says:
      Reply

      Thanks Anne! Just as I enjoy your summer flowers during our winter. Alas, it’s not my own photo or table setting, just one from Pinterest with a shade tree. although I did find a table I’m going to paint eventually and put under my shade trees, so we can eat there and enjoy the breeze. It’s too hot on the deck as the house blocks the wind.

      Liked by 2 people

  2. avwalters says:
    Reply

    I was at the song, just by the title. I didn’t even have to open the post. And yes, summer. No AC here, we still rely on the night-time cooling and double-hung windows. For me, nothing says summer like lightening bugs, dragonflies and grasshopper.

    Liked by 4 people

  3. Jo Shafer says:
    Reply

    Lovely summer post, Joni! I paused long, and longingly, at the photo of the garden tea table covered in white cutwork linen. It made me realize I must get out my lovely old cutwork and use them on my courtyard tables. They remind me of my grandmama (Mama Nedley) because she used them, too, on her front porch in summers. Here, it’s too hot outside except for the very early mornings. As September approaches, however, lunches and teas and supper alfresco can return.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Joni says:
      Reply

      Thanks Jo! I must go back and edit in that the table pic is from Pinterest, not mine. Mine is pending, as per next weeks post and needs painting still. I bought a lovely blue and white tablecloth last summer from the April Cornell catalog, when I was in the middle of the kitchen reno so it never got used, with the idea that I was going to have a Jane Austen tea party at my new table, but then Covid ruined May and June and now it’s too hot to eat outside here too. I’m sure it will get used sometime. Like I even needed another tablecloth….no…I wish people entertained more….lovely memories of your grandmother.

      Liked by 2 people

  5. Linda Schaub says:
    Reply

    That was a breath of fresh air in this very hot Summer Joni. The pictures, root beer float and water scenes made me feel cooler as did the song. Loved that song. Is that you in the hammock reading a magazine?

    Liked by 2 people

      • Joni says:

        I thought more people might recognize me from my Pandemic Bangs Post back in April, even though most of my face was hidden then by the face mask, but this picture was taken far away, otherwise I wouldn’t have posted it! Hope you have some exciting park visits lined up for the weekend! I’m way behind in Reader again…..

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        I recognized your banks and your eyes to be honest – that is why I asked. You had a heavy fringe of bangs in the Pandemic picture and in the older picture too. You looked very nice in both pictures. I did have a nice trip planned for this morning. It was a big marsh which has lots of lily pads. And waterfowl in between and you walk out onto this overlook that goes right over the water, like a walkway. And there are regular, non-water trails as well. I mapped it out as I don’t like to take the expressway so it was a 40-mile round trip. Was going to leave early as we were to have rain late afternoon and I wanted to go to Lake Erie Metropark too – they have lotuses (bigger than water lilies) … so at about an hour before the alarm went off, the weather radio alarm sounded … it said “flash flood watch” … hmm. The flood watch I knew about it and started at 8:00 p.m. tonight. (So why sound the alarm and voice that early?) I put on the news and they were pushing the Tiger baseball game back from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. but said it may get rained out, so I cancelled … good thing as the rain did come around 12:30 but the weather forecasters mess up half the time. I just went to a few places around here and took the small camera. I went to Council Point Park, then decided to go to Elizabeth Park and there was a train blocking the tracks, so went somewhere else. I had to have a nap because I kept falling asleep – it is warmish in here and got woken up – hopefully they don’t do that again – it is like crying wolf!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        It didn’t rain here until this morning (Sunday), just cloudy and humid and miserable yesterday. Well you can always try for another day. My neighbour has a lotus plant in their fish pond which just bloomed and it’s beautiful. I had never seen one before – it was pink and white. I’ve never known you to nap Linda – you must be tired! I nap all the time.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        They are really gorgeous Joni. At Lake Erie Metropark they have two large beds of them, the largest beds in Michigan (two and five acres in size). The reason they look so stunning is they rise so far up off the leaves so they look even bigger – you were lucky to see your neighbor’s. They usually begin budding the first week in August and bloom til the end of the month. I thought maybe they’d bloom sooner due to the hot weather. So hopefully next week works. As for Crosswinds Marsh and Nature Preserve, I can always go in the Fall I guess – I’ve been trying to get there for a few years, but worried I’ll get lost, but this time I actually mapped out my route there and then to Lake Erie Metropark … the best laid plans as the saying goes. I never nap – you are correct, but I got to bed late on Friday, then the alarm woke me up earlier than planned.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        I am hoping I can get there – it is 40 miles roundtrip for this Crosswinds Marsh, then I would try to get to Lake Erie Metropark too. That’s quite a jaunt for me. Also to the sunflower field if I can figure out the directions. I mapped it out last year. After August, it is all downhill from there – days are shorter, leaves starting to fall off (though that is happening here with the poplar trees already).

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        We had a beautiful day today – hope you had the same and got over there to photograph it. I am hearing it will be nice this Saturday, then four days of rain and thunderstorms after that. I am going to try to do the trip I wanted to do last Saturday if possible. I still want to find the sunflower fields … I looked online for peak time for sunflowers in Michigan but you can’t go by that as they are different varieties and the place that I got lost going to last year has their sunflower festival after Labor Day.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        Well almost “over-useful” but that’s fine too I guess, but guess what? It went off 15 hours before the flood watch was to begin yesterday – it probably should have just had the button flash and then you can listen to the weather report (they have it going for your county continuously if you push another button) … just sayin’. But this morning I knew we were having flash floods, so didn’t set the alarm. So around 4:00 a.m. the thing went off to warn of flooding downpours and flash flooding … not two minutes later, the robo voice was still on and it started to pour hard. It shuts itself off so I didn’t have to get up but then it did it two more times before I finally just got up – grrrr. We had two inches of rain from yesterday afternoon through 10:00 a.m. today. That is a good thing though.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Joni says:

        I think I’d just have the button flash….or can you just check it when you want, like in the morning when you’re trying to decide to go out or not? Too disruptive otherwise.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Linda Schaub says:

        Well, we don’t often have flash flood warnings, but why they alerted us all those hours ahead made no sense to me. You can turn off the sound and just have the flashing buttons, but it is in a different room.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Ally Bean says:
    Reply

    Years ago on a website about home decor I saw a photo of a screened-in porch that had “Summer breeze makes me feel fine Blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind” hand lettered around the top of the walls of the room. It was so pretty and just the perfect vibe. I always liked that song.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Joni says:
      Reply

      That sounds lovely Ally….wish I had a screened in porch, or any porch for that matter. That song always reminds me of summer…..which is already half over. August always makes me depressed, even more so this year.

      Liked by 2 people

  8. Dave says:
    Reply

    Like several commenters, I was at the song as soon as I read your title (and you didn’t let us down!) Also, I could taste that A&W float like it was my childhood again (there’s only one true root beer, after all). Finally, nice coincidence both of our posts this week reference the “dog days of summer”. Come winter we’re going to wish we were still where we are today. “La Nina” in the forecast? Believe that means harsher winter up your way; milder for mine. We shall see…

    Liked by 1 person

    • Joni says:
      Reply

      Dave, I think the song inspired the blog first! Yes no other root beer compares IMO. I remember my mother being able to buy it in big brown jugs, from the A&W drive-in, probably before the cans were available. I’m way behind in Reader so I’ll read your post about the weather tomorrow…..I really think those forecasters are wrong more than they are right!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. J P says:
    Reply

    That song is part of the soundtrack of my youth. But I grew up in air conditioning, so the open windows were a rarity.

    But a minor bit- can it be an “old fashioned” root beer float when the A&W is of the diet variety? I would argue not. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Joni says:
      Reply

      You’re absolutely correct and as a lawyer, I expect you to notice those details! I haven’t been able to find either diet or regular A&W cans lately in any grocery stores but a google search says Walmart Canada which imports from the US, might have it. I remember my mother buying it in big brown glass gallon jugs from the A&W driven-in when we were kids…. but I don’t think even the regular A&W root beer is the same formula as it was in the 60’s….close but not the same yeasty taste. You could return the jugs for a refill – it was a summer time treat.

      Like

  11. ruthsoaper says:
    Reply

    Awesome post. It was like I could feel the breeze as I read and looked at the pictures. I was surprised too that the Port Huron to Mackinaw race took place. They just didn’t hold all the other community (party) events that they usually do when the boats are in town.

    Liked by 2 people

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s