Here in Maine, July is usually our first real month of summer.  Other places seem to have started summer long ago, but we are really just starting to feel the warmth of the sun.  Having such a short summer gives me the desire to want to make the most of it.  I want to squeeze the every last drop of goodness that the summer has to offer.  July is special.  It is so thoroughly summer that you spend every second in the present.  Not thinking about fall.  Not planning for Christmas.  Here are the things that endear me most to this very special summer month.

• Strawberries – July starts out blood red in the form of perfect little strawberries for picking and eating right off the vine.  Then there are strawberry cobblers, strawberry pancakes, and strawberry shortcake!
• The beach – The sun is strong, the water is warm(ish), the waves are high, and the children find neverending uses for sand.
• Vacation – At least for our family, July is vacation month!  Time to hit the open road and see new sites.
• Lazy Evenings – Summer schedules give way to summer bedtimes.  Spending the evening in the yard or riding our bikes or taking a walk are perfect reasons for children to stay up just a little later.
• Summer Reading – Who doesn’t love a good book on the beach or stretched out in a lawn chair?  I’m reading “Vanishing Acts” by Jodi Picoult.  She has a knack for writing about hot topics.
• Raspberries – Fresh and right off the vine, all the way down our dirt lane.  We grab our little tin pails and treasure hunt for the ripest berries.  Plink-plink-plunk!
• Eating Outdoors – We are learning to do as much cooking outdoors in the summertime as possible.  Whether it be on the grill or over an open fire or in our new cast iron dutch oven sitting right in the fire, we’re finding more ways to spend as much time outside as possible.  And food always tastes best when it is eaten outdoors, am I right?

What are your favorite things about July?  August, and talking about Back to School, are just around the corner, so get the most out of summer now!