“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”

― Henry James

For some of us who live in the mountains the first day of summer is bittersweet. The arrival of the day of the year we in the Northern Hemisphere see and feel the most hours of sunshine means a few things. More hours of sunshine warm the clear Adirondack lakes and a short, but sweet, swim season begins. Now is the time for outdoor living, for bonfires and dining al fresco. Sometimes, it gets hot enough in Lake Placid to feel like real summer to a Jersey Girl like me, and we get to complain about the heat.

But summer goes quickly in the Adirondack mountains and we know the warm moments of sunshine will now slowly diminish until we reach the Winter Solstice on December 21st. So, outside we go, grabbing every warm ray of sunshine we can. Yes, the cold and dark of winter will come. But right now, it is sunny and warm. Seasons change in the mountains, and for this we should be grateful.

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”

― John Steinbeck