Summer Week-ends

I love this time of year. Late Spring - early Summer.The weather is the catalyst, as is the pending holiday break. And although the weather can be a little unsettled this time of year, it never intrudes on events because I can enjoy a beer on the patio looking at my garden whether it's raining or not. 

My week-ends commence with a conundrum of decision. To barbecue or not barbecue? That is the question. If barbecuing, should I smoke the meat or simply throw it on the hotplate?

I love the lazy afternoons filled with cicada symphonies, far-off dog barks, a farther-off car horn, the uncomfortable caress of bottle brush against the side of the house, the wind turning ten thousand pages in the camphor laurels. 

Friends dropping in and deciding to stay longer than intended. 

I love the sizzle and snap of sausages on the hotplate, their fragrance overpowering the mock orange.

The happy sounds of children playing in water - whether in the neighbour's pool or the unexpected splash of water when a gust of wind blows the fountain spray across their path as they run around the yard.

The gentle late-afternoon breeze that brings relief from the hot day and, with it, a scent of a possible thunder storm. 

I love too the relief that comes when I realise that this down-time is enough to recover my strength and composure after a hard week, knowing I am facing another one.

Oh, yes. I love this time of year.