Summer Daze

Summer Daze
            I grew up in a region that lived up to the Currier and Ives promise of four distinct seasons: Bright green leaves and flower buds emerging in spring, hot, humid summers with lush greens and the sound of cicadas, autumns marked by stunning orange and red leaves, sometimes edged with frost, and cold, snowy winters where playing with friends meant sleds and hot chocolate. Those Adirondack Foothills seasons live on in my heart.
            People who live in desert regions or jungle areas know and love a different type of terrain and seasonal changes. Some changes are subtle, and some are stark in contrast.
            Now I live a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean in San Francisco. Having highs in the low 60s and lows in the low 50s, often with plenty of fog to blanket us, is weather we see near the beach year-round.
            San Francisco’s reputation for foggy summers held up this July and August, with barely a sky in the cloud. Locals held their breath for sunshine to arrive in September, and the sun and blue skies did not disappoint.
            People hang out at sidewalk cafes in tank tops with an excitement in the air that says, “Look! We have summer sometimes, too!”
            Beach parking has been packed on sunny September days. People who wear shorts once a year if they’re lucky have dug out their summer gear for the chance to bare their legs. It’s our area’s chance to make the most of visits to the beach.
            Take advantage of good weather wherever you live, no matter what time of year it shows up. Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s Hike Notes from the archives, Black Sands Beach, takes readers to a beach in the Marin Headlands that features black sand, and gorgeous views of the Marin Headlands shoreline and San Francisco.
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This week’s hike from the archives:
Hike Notes 31: Black Sands Beach