Summer attractions

 Summer is almost officially here. Arrives in just a few days. I have zero plans for that season. Truth be told I have never had plans for any season, they always just come and go. If the global warming people are to be believed, summer may be around a bit longer. I don't have a problem with that. I haven't even bought my fishing license for this year, might need to do that to help put food on the table the way things are going. I might have to pay for the license, but I can still dig worms for free! 

 Growing up summer was, the season. It never directly affected my family though; we weren't dependent upon the summer crowd and their money to get through the winters. That was the problem of the upstreeters that owned the small shops and businesses that catered to that crowd. Yes, it had an effect on the whole economy of the town, no denying that, so in a way we were all effected, just not directly. Being a "vacation" spot, you did have to deal with the tourists. The difference was simply, recurring tourists. By that I mean, the same people came every year. In a way it was more like an amusement park to those folks. It was where they came for entertainment on the weekends. But all that was many years ago. Now, the tourists pretty much own the park! The season never ends. 

 Here in Greensboro the seasons come and go marked by the growing season and the long winter months. I just watch the fields. Agriculture is the primary source of income, along with chicken houses. Lots of chickens. There is some tourist action in the fall and winter. Goose hunting is quite popular, along with ducks and a bit of other game. Some folks are guides and make a decent amount of money doing that, in season of course. Places like St. Michaels, Oxford and Belllevue attract tourists for weekends of spending! Surprisingly that is the big attractions in those areas, the little shops and eateries where you can spend your money on frivolous things. The hallmark of the tourist. No cameras' hanging around their necks these days though, everyone uses their phone. Technology changes, time does not.

 I have to say all of that has very little effect on me. I am not one to go to a lot of places and so traffic isn't any issue. I don't frequent the little boutiques, galleries and niche stores. I want my food simple and cheap. Not much on wine tasting either. Boones farm or the newest Cabernet, all the same to me. I still think that Chianti with the woven basket around the bottle is pretty fancy. I have no real desire to go to the beach anymore, those days are all behind me. I don't like crowds of people huddled together on the beach. I also don't want to walk a mile to get some space! So Ocean City, Rheobeth and the like are not an attraction to me. Perhaps if I lived closer. 

 Summer did mean the kids would be out of school. First it was my own, then the grandkids but now, the grandkids have all graduated, one from college already! Nothing much changes now in the daily routine. I think about getting a boat, I do enjoy being on the river in the summertime but, a boat. An acronym for Bust Out Another Thousand! A hole in the water that you pour money into. There is the storage problem as well. Well, it's nice to think about, but I need a lottery win or two. Being an apartment dweller has its' limitations. No matter, when I did have a boat I got to use it maybe a dozen times in a year. Yes, I'm a fair weather boater. 

 None of this is intended as a complaint. I was just thinking about the summer as it is big news to some. I realize many wait for it, anticipate the fun and excitement. Vacations to be taken, sunburns to get. For others, money to be made, money vital to their survival. All too soon the roadside farm stands will be selling pumpkins and mums, perhaps some corn stalks. The season will be over. The leaves will begin to fall. My favorite time of the year, not too hot, not too cold. Things have calmed down and time to pack the summer up. Fall is the time to remember, that's my thought anyway. Following that, things get ramped up for the "Holidays." But I'm rushing ahead, summer will be here in two days. I just might go to the beach, at least once, to make sure the ocean is still there. Something I did almost every day when I was a kid, had to check on the ocean, and the bay, just to be sure. Only a few miles separated the two. I have to say I do miss the salt in the air, that smell of the ocean. Especially strong in the summertime.