This is a rainy day – an all day, soaking rain that is good for the garden, the hay lot and the water supply. It encourages indoor activities that have been postponed and is a perfect opportunity to write letters, start the new book that is begging to be opened, and a time to go about the house in comfortable clothes and favorite slippers.

Summer is now in full swing. It brings to us things we welcome and some we don’t. Like trying to stay ahead of those millions of blades of grass with the mower; mosquitoes that hover by the screen door and the one that buzzes at 3 am in the bedroom, denying you a peaceful sleep. It’s a chore to weed the garden and to cope with humidity and heat and giving the dog a bath.

Compensations come in the form of weekend picnics that are pleasant and relaxing and free the cook from preparing big meals. Dad takes over the big outdoor grill, further giving mom a real holiday from the kitchen. There are more times to do “family things” – trips to the beach, the firemen’s carnival, the summer flea markets, and outdoor sales.

Some of summer’s greatest delights include strawberries – plain, in pies, in shortcakes, over vanilla ice cream, or in any other form! Summer squash and tomatoes are a close second, followed by cucumbers, string beans, sweet corn, and any kind of greens. By the time the first fall apples are ripe, I am ready for applesauce, Brown Betty, baked apples, or just a crisp apple to eat and enjoy.

Summer brings vacation time for many families. This includes preparations that keep one busy – packing clothing, buying new bathing suits for growing children, halting the mail, the newspaper, getting the dog clipped and a neighbors son to mow the lawn.

Going away is easier than coming back. It is sure to rain for several days and the piles of laundry have to go in the dryer, which adds heat to the already high humidity. The mail has piled up in a heap that is alarming. The garden needs weeding; vegetables need picking and canning or freezing. Summer has its own demands, but if you do its bidding you will be glad next winter when you open those jars of corn and tomatoes. Jars of thick strawberry jam or peach marmalade aren’t too bad on toast or pancakes, either.

Summer has its own pace and life is easy and more relaxing. When you head out to an evening movie, you grab a jacket or sweater, and go. No need to bundle in heavy gear, hat, mittens, and overshoes, as winter requires.

Living where seasons make very distinct changes is something we get used to here in New England. It would be pretty dull without the changes in weather and lifestyles!

Laurie has sent me a new book she found in a Vermont bookstore. I have a good variety of bird books, but this one is quite different and very enjoyable. It is Birds of Forest, Yards and Thicket by John Eastman. Divided by “family” and different species, this tells the habits of 68 most common species of birds. Their behavior, their actions, and their habits go beyond the facts usually listed in bird books. Information about the nest of each bird listed, where they migrate to and how they spend their winters, natural food preferences, their songs or chirping sounds, and accounts of their housekeeping habits are interesting and different from things I have read in other books. Stackpole Books is the publisher and the cost is under $20.

The cardinals are tending a nest nearby and the male has been keeping close track of his lady. He is still working on the remaining bit of suet. Any day now they will bring their offspring into the yard to show them where to find a few sunflower seeds.

The quote that ended last week’s column was by Sir Walter Scott, from “Lay of the Last Minstrel.”

Who said, “Into each life some rain must fall, some days must be dark and dreary”?