Midsummer top 10

Happy midsummer! Here, in no particular order, is my top 10 list of favorite things about this time of year.

1. Long days, short nights, and lingering twilight.

2. Summer garden creatures like fireflies, frogs, green anole lizards, dragonflies, crickets, bees, and butterflies.

3. The bounty of summer fruits, vegetables, and flowers available at the farmers market.

4. Sweet nighttime flower smells, like my neighbor's gardenias and magnolias.

5. Grilling out.

6. The smell of suntan lotion, and walking on the beach.

7. Thunderstorms!

8. Summer reading on long, lazy afternoons.

9. Iced tea, lemonade, daiquiris, and frozen margaritas.

10. The feeling of ease and contentment that seems to permeate everything this time of year, and the "school's out" feeling I still get (even though I'm a grownup!).

What are your favorite things about this time of year?