Attitude is everything, and four
weeks of some of the coldest May weather in Boston's meteorological
history have taken a psychological toll that is threatening to
stifle joie de vivre on this weekend that is traditionally the
unofficial debut of the season of sun.
The sun is up there. It
may even be visible, given forecasters' predictions that it will be
making weekend appearances between showers. But, no matter what the
weather is doing, the New England spirit can rise up to bury
lingering negativity under a victory lap around the beach.
Think Red Sox 2004, people. Think
''reverse the curse." May has certainly seemed like one to anybody
hoping to go outside for something more than the mail, or a dash to
the car.
But May is on its way out, and,
despite the clouds, is making a relatively cheerful exit.
Intermittent rain is better than a monsoon, and a thermometer moving
toward 70 and away from the shivery 40s is going in the right
direction.
A proactive populace might help
speed the mercury along, or at least make people feel as though
they're channeling July. So, do wear white, preferably with a
Hawaiian shirt.
Wear sandals, too -- no socks --
and go barefoot for that aforementioned victory lap around the
beach. Own the beach! Face the water and wade right in up to the
shins. Shake that bottle of sunblock at the sky and lather up while
belting out a couple choruses of ''Under the Boardwalk."
Find an ice cream stand and get a
double scoop cone. Make sure the ice cream drips on the white
clothes the way it does on a stifling summer day. This may take a
while in an intermittent rain, but persevere.
The same goes for the cookout,
which may have to become a cook-in. But with enough lawn chairs in
the living room, the furnace cranked up, and a little bug spray on
the guests, boiled hot dogs can taste like a picnic.
Swagger into the local garden
center. Buy a hose. Buy the tomatoes and the basil. No more whining,
''Wait till next weekend." This is the weekend: time to
sink the trowel into the soil and fill the yard with summer, a New
England Memorial Day weekend rite of passage that is not to be
denied, even if a person has to dig in a slicker.
Haul out the hammock. Hang it up
and swing. Roast a marshmallow. Open the windows and doors. Put the
top down on the convertible. Stake out a viewing spot for the Fourth
of July parade. No turning back. Past is not prologue.
Summertime, summertime, sum-sum-summertime. We are there.
The Salem News
Thursday, June 9, 2005
Editorial
Short summer better than none at all
Once again, we've gone straight from winter into
summer.
One day it's damp and dreary with temperatures so low one can easily
imagine those raindrops turning into flakes of snow. The next, skies
are bright, the sun is shining and, dare we say it, it's a little
too hot.
Retailers, having just put away the snow shovels and other winter
gear, find themselves breaking out the fans and air conditioners
that were flying off store shelves this week. The heat gets turned
off and we're on our way to the beach.
Which is about what we've come to expect. When people from points
south go on about the beauty of a spring day, we wonder what they're
talking about.
But lest we complain too much, it's important to remember that those
ocean breezes that can make a day in May feel much like one in
December are what keep us cool even when other parts of the country
are sweating through the dog days of August.
And we should feel fortunate that while we may be without a spring,
the transition from summer to winter is much more gradual. Indeed,
some would say that as much as we long for days like these, there's
nothing to compare with autumn in New England.
Which is what we get to look forward to a couple of weeks from now
when, the season for outdoor activity having just begun, the days
start getting shorter again.
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