TheBanyanTree: The Summer that Isn't

[Margaret R. Kramer]

It rained so much this past May, we began to use boats to get to work.  But
we knew after Memorial Day that the rain would stop and it would suddenly
get hot and stay hot for the few weeks we have for Minnesota’s summer.

Memorial Day came and went.  The rain did stop and the sun came out.  But it
didn’t warm up.  We’ve had a few warm days here and there, but nothing
sustained.  No one wants to go swimming because the water hasn’t been warmed
by the sun and the lakes are still cold.

My summer apparel has been a sweatshirt and jeans and I always carry a
jacket with me.  I’ve only worn my shorts a handful of times.  I see some
people wearing shorts, tank tops, and sandals with no wool socks to keep
their feet warm.  They must feel like they can lure summer into our midst if
they are half naked.

Well, it’s almost the 4th of July, the middle of summer for Minnesotans, and
it’s all downhill from here, except we haven’t even had an uphill yet.  We’
ve had some dismal summers in the past, but they’ve been few and far
between.  It’s hard to imagine a 4th of July without scorching heat, a
refreshing dip in the lake, and slapping away mosquitoes while watching the
rockets’ red glare at dusk.  This year we might be huddled in blankets as we
watch fireworks.

Last night the TV weatherman told us that the Hudson Bay is still frozen and
the winds coming from Canada are blowing across that cold ice right into
Minnesota.  He showed us temperatures close to 80 near the Arctic Circle.
He assured us within the next week or so the jet stream will straighten out
and blow those 80s right to us.  We’ll see.

Margaret R. Kramer
margaretkramer at comcast.net

http://www.polarispublications.com
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http://www.bpwmn.org
Business and Professional Women of Minnesota

A bird does not sing because it has an answer.  It sings because it has a
song.
~Chinese Proverb