Elusive Summer

About ten days into June, we’re still very much in the June gloom period. Before that, it was May gray all the way. If feels like we haven’t had a sunny day in months. It feels like Seattle. I’ve noticed I’ve been needing more coffee to get through the days. I don’t want to write about the weather, but this has been an unusual year, starting with a colder and wetter winter. I don’t think we’ve had a day above 80 yet!

Every year I look forward to getting back to the beach, lying on beach and soaking up the sun. I spend the colder months taking walks on the sand, searching for shells. I found some pretty cool ones this winter. But I wait for the sunshine and the warmth to haul my beach gear from the trunk of my car, across two parking lots and down a steep staircase, to search for my own piece of sandy real estate. That’s when I spread out my towel, set up my chair and umbrella, and break out my latest beach read. It soothes my soul just thinking about it.

Not this year. Not yet. Every time I’m by the beach, I look at all the tourists and think how disappointing it must be to have booked a trip to sunny California just to sit on the beach in a hoodie, and wrapped in blankets. Now that I think about it, the tourists are out there in their bathing suits, lying on their blankets, making the most of it. Their kids stand at the edge of the water, jumping over the waves as they roll in, laughing. The locals are the ones in their hoodies, cursing under their breath because a cloudy 65 degrees is just cold!

I shouldn’t complain. It’s not stormy. It’s not pouring rain, or hailing baseballs. The weather is calm, breezy at times, cloudy and cool. While walking on the beach earlier, I saw a group setting up for a beach wedding. They had low tables and pillows for the guest seating. I’m sure when the plan was made, they were hoping for a warm, sunny day, and they’ll be lucky if they get a few rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds. That’s how it goes though, this time of year. I know we’ll see those perfect beach days this summer. Or should I say, I hope we’ll see those perfect beach days.