My Summer Strategies to Beat the Weather

Here in southern Michigan, we have a mix of summer weather. Some days are scorching, and outdoor activities need to be kept to a minimum. Most days are hot, but quite pleasant. Sometimes we get cooler air, rain, storms, even tornadoes. We're never sure what the day will bring!


My summer strategy for wringing every drop of fun out of three short months relies heavily on the Doppler Radar. I write or do writerly duties each weekday morning, but weekday afternoons we get out and have fun.

On scorching days:

- Our neighborhood has a pool, and we spend as much time there as possible. (I'm going to miss it in a few weeks when we move!)
- We love driving up to Ann Arbor and walking around the mall or shopping downtown. Yes, we holler it up when we drive past the Big House--Go Blue!
- Movies are expensive, but we'll catch one at a matinee if it's unbearably warm out.
- We're blessed with art museums less than an hour away.

On hot-but-still-can-play-outside days:

- We live near Lake Erie, so we head to the beach!
- Again, neighborhood pool--hello!
- Now and then, we'll catch the Thursday flea market. It's fun for a few hours.
- We're members of a nearby zoo. We love watching the baby elephant, baby tiger cubs, and we enjoy just walking around and seeing the sights.
- We ride our bikes. Sometimes we'll head to a state park and bike the trails.

On cooler days:

- Our library offers free movie rentals. We'll stop in for books and movies.
- Hobby Lobby is a fun craft store. We like to pick up items for inexpensive projects, like summer scrapbooks.
- If it isn't raining, we may walk at a nearby park or by the river.
- If it is raining, we might do anything on our hot-hot list above!

No matter what, I keep plenty of ice cream and popsicles on hand. It's much cheaper to purchase ice cream at the grocery store than buy individual cones at an ice cream stand. We also make Kool-Aid, homemade cookies and brownies, and, during summers when we aren't moving, we grow vegetables in our garden.

Summer rejuvenates me, gets me ready for the delights of fall, and no matter what the weather, I'm determined to enjoy it!

How do you survive YOUR summer weather?

Have a lovely weekend!

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