Summer Joy

It's that joyful time of year when life on Long Island seems to be full of a carefree,  relaxed sand-in-toes type of spirit. School is out. Laughter is in the air. Summer hues brighten the landscape, and seashore breezes refresh the mind, body, and spirit. It is a joyful time of year to explore, play in the sun, relax, and recharge. 

I pause momentarily before the day starts to reflect on my writing life, realizing how nature influences my thoughts and sparks ideas.

This is my 2nd attempt at writing a cherita, 

my tale of the opening of the summer by the sea concert series.

My 1st cherita is also about beach life and can be found here.

While so many ideas float through my mind, I find peace through noticing nature and writing about beachlife here on Long Island. May your summer days be filled with joy as you embrace summer.

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You are invited to share your summer life moments with me at the hashtag #EmbraceableSummer on Twitter, at my gmail, Instagram, or FaceBook accounts for a future gallery of artistic expressions.

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Take a stroll with me to the Poetry Friday Roundup at Tricia Stohr-Hunt's blogsite, The Miss Rumphius Effect. Tricia is blending a letter written by her grandmother during war times with the prompt, heat, as her guide. It is quite interesting so you may want to stroll over to her site with me. 

Celebrating Summer's Last Hurrah

Summer is an exciting time of year on Long Island. The Atlantic Ocean greets beachgoers each day as its waves roar their hello while each section of Long Island has its special offerings. There are gardens, parks, historic sites, landmarks, and cultural events to visit. It's a sweet summer life with a vacation-like atmosphere here on Long Island. 

Being at the beach as often as possible is something

my family enjoys and waits for each summer. 

Now, we are in the last weekend of the official Long Island summer and it's time for the last hurrah. Let me take you on a short tour of my celebration weekend while waiting for the big storm to reach us. So far Labor Day weekend's summer nights have been special and I am grateful.

The last hurrah celebration of summer started on Thursday night with a birthday celebration for my son. We traveled to Atlantic Beach for a birthday dinner at my son's favorite restaurant owner's new restaurant, Dino's Villa Mare. The food was plentiful and delicious. The celebration did not end at the restaurant, though. 

We capped the night off with a quick stop at the beach because Atlantic Beach is not one that my family frequents. The night was so pleasant; the sea breeze was gentle and the clouds formed a lovely backdrop for a quick set of photos.

While leaving Atlantic Beach, we read that Long Beach was holding a firework show at beachside the next night so we made plans to attend. 

When we arrived in Long Beach on Friday night, the boardwalk was lit up against a painted sunset sky. The beach was starting to fill with families who were setting up their blankets and chairs for the fireworks' show. I scanned my surroundings, amazed by the patterns in the sky and amused that Mother Nature was competing with the firework crew for the best show in town.

I did not have to wait long. The barge in the ocean proudly set off its first sparks and the crowd sat in awe of a true send-off to a summer not to be forgotten.

With Hermine inching its way to Long Island, there had to be one last get-together to remind me that summer is about celebrations and so my family and friends had a fantastic dinner in a beachy, tropical atmosphere.

 

Sweet Summer Life is Full of Blessings!

Please stroll over to Ruth Ayres' site to see how the Celebrate This Week community of bloggers are celebrating their holiday weekend events with Ruth. Celebrating with family and friends is what makes life special. 

Gentle Reminder: I am collecting offerings for my summer gallery, Summerscapes. If you have a special summerscape moment from this weekend please send it on to me.