Today was hot –– unpleasantly so. But there are too many things that I love about summer to care about the odd hot day. My garden is full and verdant. My children spend a good chunk of the day barefoot on our street. My summer wardrobe is so much more playful than my winter one. I spend most evenings on my porch, and I rarely look at a screen. My skin feels good and my feet are always dirty. I meet new neighbours all the time, and see ones I know and I love daily. We gather on each other’s stoops and share food and wine and stories. There’s an intensity to summer that’s both challenging and satisfying. It doesn’t last too long, so we make it count.