Here on the Outer Banks, we officially left spring in the dust this week.

The sudden appearance of herds of tourists and crazy heat waves clearly point to summer being in full swing.  Those might not be my favorite parts of summer on the OBX, but there are plenty of other parts that I’ve been missing all winter!

The Brewing Station backyard

The Brewing Station has a huge backyard with picnic tables, a playground, their own herb and veggie garden, a stage for live music every weekend, and the food truck (I.  LOVE.  The food truck.  That’s a post all it’s own).  Technically, you can go outside year round, but it’s too windy and chilly in the winter to stay.  And the food truck’s not open (see previous sentiment).

I stayed with Townes again last week while his parents were out of town, and I spent a good four hours out back at the Brewing Station one afternoon while he had art camp next door, and then wanted to stay and play once he got out.  A bunch of other moms of kids at art camp were there, too, and the kids all played tag and hunted roly-poly bugs together.  Yup, I have mom friends.

Evening beach time

I LOVE the beach in the winter.  It’s quiet and lonely in a nice way, and the ocean is cold and beautiful.  The beach in the summer is nice, too, of course, but my northern blood just can’t take it during normal daylight hours.  Only once in a long while do I actually go to the beach in the middle of the day during the busy season.

It’s best to go right before sunset.  The air is starting to cool, but the sand will still keep you warm if you need it to.  Plus, it looks like this:

Flowers and lovely things

Summer showers (which we’ve been lucky enough to have plenty of so far) mean that over the next couple months, plants will actually grow in the sandy barren wasteland that we like to call soil ‘round these parts.  I’m planning to fix up our backyard a little more this summer, but for now, I’m just taking baby steps towards real gardening.

Reading on the deck

This is my summertime evening ritual.  There’s an hour or so right before dusk where it’s cool enough but not too chilly, the bugs aren’t out, and it’s still light enough to see… that’s my read-on-the-deck hour!

I camp out with a good book and a cold beverage of some sort and reeeelax.  My preference is to sit out front so I can surreptitiously creep on anybody who walks past.  They usually don’t look up and notice me, but I don’t miss a trick in this neighborhood.  Although it can be difficult when you have a pal who likes to keep you company like this:

Bodie is Sarah’s dad’s dog and came to hang out with his best buddy Irie for a while.  (Also, I just started The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie today, and I love it already!)

Gigantic mutant strawberries from Ed’s produce stand.

Oh wait, you need a point of reference?  Here you go:

I know I said “mutant,” but they’re not actually genetically modified or anything.  They’re from a strawberry patch right over the bridge in Currituck, fresh and all-natural with nothing funky goin’ on.  That is just a humongous strawberry the size of my palm.  Mom, no comments about baby hands, please.

Speaking of baby hands, Kristen Wiig’s last episode of SNL was last week.  I’m only mildly devastated that there wasn’t a farewell Target Lady skit.  I don’t know what the show will be like without her hilarious antics!  I guess the rest of the cast members will just have to get on with them by themselves.

Any good summer shows coming up to replace everything that’s ending?  Book suggestions to add to my reading list?  Keep ‘em coming!