July

Today is a sad day for me. It is July 31, 2024, which means July is over and it will not be back for another 11 months. I realize some of you are sad as well, while others are glad to see a new month arrive. I wait all year with anticipation for July, it is the summer month that makes me feel like a kid again. It says to me this is summer holidays. 

I decided that you probably wanted to know what makes July so special in my world. Who doesn't want to know that type of information. So here goes with my list.  

#1 The pool. The pool that is at my condo complex is basically a wading pool for adults. It is too shallow to swim in, so no pressure to exercise, just a spot to hang out with friends. I have met some good friends at the pool. In 2010, when the pool opened there was a group of us that meet at 2 o'clock every day. We called it the 2 o'clock meeting. As you can imagine we didn't want to miss the meeting for fear of being behind in the news. The pool is still the meeting place, the group has changed a bit, and the meeting time varies, but enjoying each other's company remains the same. Fourteen years of pool wisdom is remarkable. I am not a sun worshiper, but I do tan easily. It seems it takes very little pool time, for me to get a tan. I think a person looks so much healthier in the summer with some color. 

#2. Mother Nature. I remember when I was a kid, if it was a really hot day, it would create a thunderstorm. That doesn't happen so much anymore. I find thunderstorms exciting. It is just a display of how powerful mother nature can be. At the start of the month, we had way more moisture and storms than we have had at the end of July. The smoke has been an issue, and it must be miserable for those close to the fires. Mother nature has displayed beautiful sunsets and at times a lovely orange moon. As I age, I enjoy hearing the birds chirping early in the morning, which surprises me because I'm not really a bird person.  

#3 Iced coffee and ice cream. McDonalds plays nicely into this little addiction. They sell iced coffee for $1 during the summer. I love to buy a coffee and go and sit by water. They also have sundaes for $2 and ice cream cones for $1. Somehow being able to get a cheap ice cream treat makes it okay to have them more often. Ice cream is a July treat for me, and I will probably not have ice cream again for a year.   

#4. Fresh fruits and Vegetables. There is nothing like a toasted tomato sandwich made with homemade bread and tomatoes right off the vine. I also like cucumber and tomato sandwiches. You can't beat the taste of new potatoes, peas, carrots, and let's not forget corn on the cob. Fresh picked raspberries right from the bush has a taste that makes my mouth water. It is a busy month for those with a garden, but certainly a great month to enjoy fresh fruits and veggies.  

I love to make jam. I like to make jelly as well, but it is so much more work. This year I made rhubarb jam for the first time ever. I decided on an easy 3 ingredient recipe to start off. You need 5 cups of prepared rhubarb, which means cook until it becomes stringy, 7 cups of sugar and certo crystals. I always use certo crystals, it works best for me. Follow the directions inside the certo package for cooked jam and believe me you will love it. 

#5. Visiting lakes. Manitoba is full of lakes. I go to Minnedosa every Wednesday for Paddling practice. I am doing something I never dreamed I would do. I am paddling in unison with 21 other women. I am getting very familiar with Minnedosa Lake. I have had a day visit to Ditch Lake, a hidden little gem of a lake. I like to go to Lake Clemente for coffee from time to time. I had a sleep over at my good friends at Killarney Lake. Waking up and the first sight you see is water, is just heavenly to me.  

#6. Wearing dresses. I love to wear a dress in the summer. They are the coolest thing you could wear, and for some reason, I feel like a girl when I wear one. 

#7. Crop watching. I have done considerable driving during the month. The crops are just beautiful this year. They had a late start but now they are so lush, squeaky clean of weeds and starting to turn golden.  

I absolutely love it when the canola flowers. The solid yellow fields are everywhere. It seems impossible to think the world needs that much canola, but I am glad it does. The perfect visual for me is a flowering canola and flax fields side by side. The flax is just starting to flower, so it will be happening soon.  

#8. Catch up with my neighbors. Most of my neighbors have been the same for 15 years. We don't see each other much during the 8 months of winter but once it is nice out, we hit the streets and catch up.

#9. Read more. I love books and I desire to read more. For some reason I seem to read more in July. I read Crossroads by Kaleb Dahlgren, a survivor of the Humbolt hockey team. It is about his life story, including the accident and what he has accomplished since that horrible day. 

#10. Beautiful lawns and flowers. As I travel, I am just in awe of how the country homes keep the grass mowed. There is not a blade of grass that is safe from a mower. They mow the ditches to give their yard a perfect look. I am sure it has been a big job this year with all the rain, to keep them looking as spectacular as they do. The grass is still nice and green, which is a nice change from dried up and yellow. The grass is just the start of how lovely their yards look, beautiful flower gardens finish the look of a manicured yard. 

That completes my list of things I love about July. I hope many of you can relate and have your own list.

I thought I would include this quote for all of the July babies reading this. My grandson turned 10 in July, and it is hard to believe a decade can go by so quickly. 

I hope you have enjoyed my July reflection. I know many of you have the same things you like about July. If you don't care for the heat, I bet you are glad to see the end of it. Once August hits it seems the days are cooler, certainly shorter and the dreaded fall and winter is evident. I do like the diverse 4 seasons, that the prairies offer us, with huge contrasts of weather. I think I am ready for August because ready or not here it comes.