Summer Fun

Since school has been released I’ve enjoyed seeing posts on all the various social media outlets of summer time fun. Kids enjoying sprinklers in the yard, hoses on the swing set slides and sprinklers under trampolines. Kiddos getting ready for the different summer camps that are offered and teachers kicking back and relaxing with their favorite adult beverage of choice. It’s no doubt that summer is in full swing with temperatures here in Dalhart already starting to reach 100 degrees that help remind us to sunscreen up and drink plenty of water (safety tip moment).

I was laying “by the pool” and soaking up some sun at my Sister’s one Saturday afternoon. “By the pool” is Jasper’s Walmart kid pool that is blue with sea turtles and fish printed all over it. Shana and I were talking and I mentioned this is what summer is about. Sitting around sweating for a tan, while Jasper ran around playing and us all enjoying a Flav-Or-Ice freeze pop. Living our best simple life.

Do kids still look forward to the simple times of summer? I wonder. I know when I think back on my summer free from classrooms, teachers, and bed times I think, "man I wish I got summer time off again!" Just a few summer time memories for you today.

Dalhart City Pool was the place to be. The place I spent the majority of my summers. Back in the day the pool still had the deep end, 10 foot and we all knew the story of why there wasn’t a diving board anymore. Shana and I would ride our bikes to the pool a little before they opened. We’d wait in line or in the grass and once they opened the window to pay we were ready to go! It was $1 to swim all day at the Dalhart City Pool and often Shana and I would have sandwich bags full of change for our entry into swimming fun. Once you got into the pool area top priority before jumping in was finding the perfect piece of concrete to put your towel. However, no matter where you put your towel it was going to be soaked when you finally needed it. There was always a break in swimming, so when the lifeguard’s blew their whistle’s you knew you had to get out, take a rest, and eat a snack. I think this break was 30 minutes? I honestly don’t remember, but it felt like a lifetime! When we had some extra money for the concession stand my snack of choice was laffy taffy and a cup of pickle juice. It was all about the laffy taffy and $0.10 cup of iced pickle juice. I lived for summers at the pool. 

On Friday’s after a day of swimming when the pool closed we’d ride our bikes over to SouthPark Salon. It was the perfect time because Mom would be finishing Grandma Miller’s hair and we knew we’d not have to ride bikes home. This is how it would work....

-We’d ride over.
-Park our bikes in front of the salon.
-Grandma would be sitting under the dryer.
-Granddaddy would walk us over to the United parking lot for a snow cone and walk us back.
-We’d then eat snow cones while waiting on Grandma, we’d beg and plead to ride to the house with Grandma and Granddaddy which meant we’d load our bikes up in the back of Mom’s minivan.

Eventually we’d make our way to Hartley for the weekend. In my memories this worked every time. Have I mentioned my Grandparents spoiled us just a bit? There were times Mom would say “no, ride home.” I don’t have many of those memories, but feel certain it happened more than what I remember.

My birthday is in July and Shana’s is June. This meant birthday slumber parties outside. We’d stay up all hours of the night and sleep on the trampoline. I remember these nights of sleeping outside as some of the best sleep in my life. Like camping, sleeping out in the fresh air under the stars is rest for the soul. We’d get a BigFoot from Pizza Hut. Remember those!?! Huge rectangular pizza that only came in cheese or pepperoni. This brings me to summer food! I mentioned Flav-Or-Ice freeze pops, but what about push pops!? Getting a push pop and having to tap the bottom of the stick on the concrete sidewalk to loosen up the ice cream in order to devour it. BBQ’s, ice cream, hamburgers, cold yummy salads, snow cones (insert Hula Hut advertisement), squash patties, and fresh garden vegetables are all things that make summer happy. 

We were also fortunate to take summer vacations growing up and got to see many places in the US at an age when I probably didn’t appreciate it as much as I would now. My Mom’s brothers at the time lived on both coasts and one in the middle (California, Missouri, and New York). We were able to visit a few times along with other places like Arizona, Kentucky (Aunt’s wedding), Iowa (of course), New Mexico, Colorado, and Oklahoma. Trips to Ute Lake with family make me smile as I remember us all cliff diving. Summer vacations are part of the reason I am such a travel bug.

The cool mornings, fiery afternoons, and warm golden evenings just add to the wonderful memory making elements of summer fun. Keep the pictures coming they inspire my summer planning and make me smile as I watch the summer memories being made.

-Have a Happy Evening!