Sumer is Icumen

In the wonderfully awesome book series A Game of Thrones, each family not only has their banner and decorated shield, they also have their own totem animal and a saying that represents them.  For the Lannister's it is the lion and their saying is, "A Lannister pays his debt".  For the Starks it is the wolf and the saying is, "Winter is coming".

For the Straits, we are adopting the doxie (Dachshund mix), and after some consideration are adopting the slogan, "Summer is coming".

What does that mean for us?  A long stretch of unrelenting heat in which it is difficult to even be outside.  Gnats and mosquitoes so thick you can't even see in front of you.  Wasps and hornets so big they could have a passenger service.  Global temperatures rising at a dramatic rate, and as climate change accelerates and the summer season lengthens, having to listen to people around here dismiss global warming as the reality of it sizzles all around them.

On the bright side, we often all have Fridays off at our household, so we have more long weekends.  We take some vacations, particularly to Michigan, to see my father and sister.  Often the weather is cooler up there, although that is no longer a gimme.  For Alison, the summer means one of her favorite series, So You Think You Can Dance (easy question for me to answer).  It also often features many blockbuster movies, some real good and some not so good.  I am looking forward to Prometheus, The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man, to name a few.

I also may get to do a bit more reading over the summer.  I have a stack of books that exceeds my height.  Which ones I will pick will be random and fun, but I have plenty that could be picked.

So, yes, indeedy, sumer is icumem!  The good, the bad, and the hot-hot-hot!  Just with my pheromones, don't expect me to stand outside and drink in the sunlight while swallowing the gnats.