Where Is Summer?

I think I must live in the coldest (populated) place on earth. Today is a “warm” 56 degrees out. I have been patiently waiting for summer weather to arrive since it started cooling off back in September 2021. We had a very, very, long winter with a new state record for snowfall. I can’t remember the exact number, but in my neighborhood we had somewhere around 180″ of snow. It was just on May 28th that the last small bit of snow in my yard finally melted. However, we still have some snow left in a pile in the woods from plowing it up over the winter.

For the past month or so, my social media feeds have been flooded with pictures and videos of friends and family enjoying typical summer activities. They are sporting their best swim attire, jamming to music on boats, hanging out on beaches at their local lakes, posting progress of their gardens, and showing off their new summer tans. Here in the Northwoods, I still turn the heat on during the day. I wear wool socks at home almost every day. It was just a couple weeks ago that the lakes still had ice on them. Rain, clouds, and wind seems to be the main weather patterns. I am longing for warm sun on my skin! I suppose, first, the bugs would need to die off a little.

What is That in the Air?

Speaking of bugs, I can’t believe how many there are this year! Almost everyone I have talked to locally has said they don’t remember it ever being this bad. Last year we had a record setting drought and decently warm summer, and as I said before, a very long, snowy winter. Maybe the combination of the two created a perfect environment for the nuisance creatures. We also have an extreme amount of tree pollen floating through the air. The little cotton looking fluffs make it look like it’s snowing. It seems that we always have something flying through the air here: snow, bugs, or pollen.

First Northwoods Camping Trip of the Year

Last weekend my family and I went camping and I was afraid the black flies and mosquitos were going to carry us away! They are hungry! I purchased some bug jackets which do help but they are not the most convenient to wear. You can’t eat or drink with them on unless you unzip the hood. Of course, you risk letting a few hundred-thousand bugs inside your jacket if you do. So, you have to weigh the risk versus reward. I personally hate bugs and swell up really bad just from one bite, so I chose to keep mine on most the time. I called it my portable screen porch! How anyone can stand being outside with the swarms without a net on is beyond me.

Lesson Learned

We were able to get out on the lake and do some fishing. Even through all the cottony pollen on the water, my son caught a few fish which gave us enough for a meal. One thing I learned is it is probably a good idea to keep your bait in a good quality bag without holes if you are going to store them in your fridge. We had a container of leeches in the fridge in our camper. Somehow (kids!), it got tipped on its side and leaked the nasty leech water all over. When my husband discovered it, he said he cleaned up what he saw. A day after we got back home, I grilled up the steaks that we didn’t have time to grill while camping. My son and husband said they had a fishy taste to them. I thought about it for a minute and put two and two together. I remembered the steaks were thawing on the bottom shelf in the fridge, right where the leech water would have pooled. When we got home, I had to go to work so my husband and kids brought all the leftovers inside. I didn’t see the condition of the paper packaging at that point. I am sure those steaks had inadvertently been marinated in disgusting leech water! By the time I cooked them up, the spill wasn’t even a thought in my mind. After my epiphany, I told them what I was certain was causing the fishy taste (thankfully before I had eaten my steak, because you know moms always eat last), it wasn’t long that my husband was in the bathroom puking his guts out. I couldn’t help but get a good laugh out of the situation. I knew he wasn’t sick, so it only amplified the humor of it.

Such a Difference

Apparently, the past few days have brought record heat to most of the state and many states across the country. You would never know that living here without an outside source providing that information. My sister who lives in a different part of the state sent me a picture of the air temp at her place. 94 degrees! It was 54 degrees where I was at. The trees on my property are still sprouting their baby leaves. Grass is still newly growing from the previous snow-covered ground. On Thursday, prior to leaving on our camping trip, I finally planted my vegetable garden. I’m just hoping that the nights of frost are behind us. This week I will put away all our winter gear, even though it only goes away for a few short months. It is a completely different world up here. A world without summer it seems.