Signs of summer

As in many other parts of the States, here in Texas we have completely skipped spring and headed into the deep end of summer.  Everything got green and bloomed in a hurry and now there’s pollen, pollen everywhere.  My eyes and nose immediately itch when I step out the door.  In fact, everything itches.  The dog dropped a bully stick covered in fire ants inside the house.  After a moment of sheer panic (I’m violently allergic to fire ant bites), I grabbed paper towels and managed to eradicate the problem without getting bitten.  However now there are fire ants crawling along the baseboards in our house.  In Texas, regardless of where you live, It’s a constant battle keeping them out of the house in the summertime.  If there was ever an argument for me getting LASIK, it’s so I can always spot the bugs.

Small dog in a big field

Next week we’ll be solidly in the 90s for the entire week, a swift and tough transition for us all.  After each of Bowie’s walks outside, he plops down face first in his water dish and drinks like a camel, which results in frequent potty breaks afterward.  The horses are sweating (luckily) and riding in the afternoon is starting to get brutal.  We are supplementing Mae’s diet with electrolytes (Apple A Day) and alfalfa hay, which gave her an extra burst of energy for ~3 days.  Now she’s back to ho-humming along and even then, works up quite a sweat during our hack sessions.  Mae drank out straight out of the hose for the first time this past weekend, a sure sign that it’s hot and summer is here.

At the grocery store, Bluebell’s Red White and Blue ice cream is in stock again.  I also bought a bag of frozen mango chunks, which are a vital snack when the heat gets to be too much.  Hovering over a hot stove is so six months ago; there are going to be a lot of salads in our future.  The postage stamp-sized swimming pool at our complex is packed to the gills on the weekend - you’ll find Texans trying to live in water for the next four months.  I’ve got it in my head to try this cookies and cream key lime ice cream recipe - maybe this weekend.

My summer reading list at the library continues to grow longer.  Some of the books on the list include: Those who leave and those who stay by Elena Ferrante, The Afterlives by Thomas Pierce, and Transoceanic Lights by S. Li.  Anything y’all recommend for summer reading?

We don’t have any summer vacations planned so far, but my sister and her boyfriend will be visiting in June.  I really ought to get something on the calendar before the rest of the year gets away from us, like last year.  What are your summer plans?  Do they include staying in the shade and sitting in the sprinklers or journeying off to some far off exotic locales?  Or maybe just sweating a ton, like me.