Summer!!

At last..the best season of all! Although our current sultry weather is exhausting, it's a whole lot more fun than slipping on ice and shivering as you wait for the bus. We've had a busy week, with a quick trip to Toronto and Peterborough. How easy it is now to take our little grandson out in his stroller, without having to force him into a snowsuit. Our first day of summer, June 21st, started off the season well. The night before, we had stayed overnight with Avery while his parents enjoyed a night on their own, at a  downtown hotel. Thankfully Avery slept through the night ...that meant our day started at 5:20. After all, it was the longest day of the year!

After his morning meal, walk and nap, we packed him into the stroller and headed downtown on the subway. Even taking the subway is a joyfilled experience when you are accompanied by a smiling baby. He loved the motion of the train and the attention of all those around him. Alighting at Union Station, we were confronted by a massive construction zone. If you are arriving by train there, in the next while, be prepared for the fact that there is no way for anyone to meet you by car..Front Street is completely torn up, for blocks.

The reason for our little jaunt was a swim at the hotel pool. It was definitely worth the trip. The Intercontinental has the best indoor pool we have ever seen...and we had it all to ourselves! Avery kept us entertained with his kicking and splashing.

Our first day of summer also included outdoor lunch at St. Lawrence Market and a backyard barbecue. All in all, a great way to celebrate the longest day of the year. It made me think of a day so many years ago, when we lived in Exeter, Ontario.

Back then I was teaching at the local elementary school and desparate for a movie to show my students. I needed some entertainment to keep them quietly occupied as we spent our last days together in our portable classroom....a hot, tin box behind the tiny school. In those days you could order NFB films through your local public library....those huge reels which you showed on your school's projector. On June 21st 1978, I called up the librarian and explained that I had an after school meeting and didn't think I would be able to make it in to pick up my films before her closing time of 4:30 pm.

If I was in a city that would have been the end of the conversation. I would have had to pick up the films the next day. But I was in a very small town, with a very friendly librarian, Elizabeth Schroeder. She replied instantly, "Don't worry about that. I'll keep the library open until you get here. After all, it's the longest day of the year."

It's funny... the events that stick in your mind and those that disappear. All these years later I remember her friendliness and generosity. So here's to summer and making the most of our long sunny days.