10 reasons to get outside in summer.
Experience the sun, the dew and everything in between.
Nature photos of the day: when the garden is green, it is gloriously verdant.
my precious summer, you verdant, sunny thing i can't imagine life on earth without your sunny presence without your fruits and vegetables growing everywhere the smell of roses and onion flowers filling the air the sounds of a billion bees buzzing roosters calling out to the sky the tolling of the church bells down in the valley calling the believers to pray but few people heed the ringing bells for they are out making hay, on your warm, cloudless days as i seat myself on the stone steps to rest in the stunning light of the sun i sense that there's absolutely no other time of year that reminds me so much that i am a heliophile though i am also thankful for the shade of trees and even if i must water the garden in the evenings there really isn't any other season which feels more fleeting and staggeringly green as my precious summer - Csermely
Last Saturday, on the Summer Solstice of June 21st, we greeted the rising sun as we sat on our porch at 5:47 am. We then continued the celebration inside with homemade bagels, avocado slices and garden greens for breakfast, of course, with eggs, sunny side up. How did you observe this special day of summer?
With that, the longest day of the year has come and gone, which means that from now on the days are getting shorter and shorter. This, however, doesn’t mean that we have less and less to do, in fact, our list of to-do(s) gets longer every day. With gardening, making our presence at social engagements, working online and with our hands, & spending plenty of time outdoors, we are always busy.
And I am sure that you too are either facing a tremendous mountain of chores needing to get done, or are already enjoying the fruits of your labor on vacation - whichever is your reality at the moment. Allow me to suggest to you, with this list of 10 reasons to get outside in summer, to actually find & make meaningful time to spend in nature in this warm, if not hot, season.
But before we get into it, here is a little gallery portraying the bushels of green in our garden right now - onions blooming, lemon balm and mint reaching to the sky, and yarrow enjoying the rays of the sun.
10 reasons to get outside this summer:
Go for a walk. You may walk anywhere you like, to the café, the house of a friend, to the park, to a lake, or, best yet, go on a hike into the woods armed only with a snack and a bottle of water. This is not only good for your mental well-being, but also grants you a nice chance to exercise, and as long as you have plenty of shade to rest in along your ramble, feel free to make your stroll as long as you wish, even phone-free.
Forage. Whatever you forage for - mint, garlic scapes, elderflowers, - make the reason of foraging a step toward a more simple, wondrous life. Plus, it aids you in learning more about plants, something which will be very important for the future of humanity.
Notice things in nature. Going on a walk for exercise is amazing. BUT, going on a strut around town can be about so much more than simply exercise… Let me invite you therefore to wander in nature for the sole purpose of noticing things, (I can’t stress enough how mindfulness in nature can totally change your life) observing the slightest things - strange clouds, bugs flying by, or the change of agriculture in your area. Basically notice everything & anything. Then jot it down in your journal if you keep one.
Find a safe and secluded spot, lay down on the ground and close your eyes. You might wonder why you should do this. But my question is, why wouldn’t you? Why wouldn’t you trust nature enough to shut your eyes and see what you notice with your other senses? Why not relearn to trust the Earth in such a way? Think of it as a meditation, but instead of a commanding voice telling you what to do, let nature gently guide you back to yourself.
Garden. However large or tiny your garden is, there’s rarely never a time to do nothing in it, as you probably know. And the reason you should spend time in your garden is that other than getting nutritious and wholesome food out of it, you can also reconnect with nature with your hands in the soil and bare feet on the ground. This is a form of active grounding.
Practice gratitude. Whatever this means to you, whether you are writing in a gratitude journal, hugging a tree, or simply feeling thankful for the Earth beneath you and the trees above you. It’s very relaxing, I must say, and that’s reason enough alone to do it.
Rekindle your relationship with nature. Allow me to ask you a question: are you bored of nature? And if you are, why are you? Is it because you have lost your connection with her and neglected your relationship with the Earth, which you most likely fostered as a child, when you still saw wonder in her? Think about this as you head outdoors, I promise it will be worth your time.
Enjoy the summer sun while it lasts. While it might be hot where you live at the moment, don’t forget to enjoy summer while it lasts, whether you have hay fever or not.
Being outdoors, whether it’s sunny or raining. I spend time outside in all sorts of weather, sometimes out of necessity, but mostly because it’s interesting to experience nature in all kinds of weather.
And finally, get outside and smell the roses. Be sure to gaze at roses, or any flowers you notice outside. This may sound a little off topic and exact, however flowers truly are amazing, especially when you look at them close enough. You can start with examining the rose bush in front of our house. Do this now because flowers will be gone in autumn, and fall will always come sooner than you expect.
As for the journal prompt of the day:
What is my incentive for getting outdoors in summer?
I would love to hear about the activities and joys that fill your summer days.
With gratitude,
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What a grand list of reasons to get outside in summer! The only thing that's missing is swimming - lakeside, or poolside, wherever there is water to be found. Can't wait to be able to do that again! Thank you for such a thoughtful article ♥
Although I still get into the woods in summer I'll do it less and early when it's a bit cooler. I still need to do my duty at the local sanctuary keeping the trails clear of fallen debris and wayward briars. I spend more time in my kayak paddling around the local park lakes. There's always plenty to see including aquatic birds and plants. Osprey are fun to watch. So are the turtles warming themselves in the sun. I always find and remove fishing line carelessly left hanging in trees along the lake side. I rescued a tangled crow one time. He pecked me up quite bit but he was happy to be freed.