Seizing Summer: Make the Most of What’s Left

Ah, late summer on the Chesapeake. Big, fat crabs come further up the Bay, just begging to be scooped up with a net. We beat the heat by swimming at local beaches or off the back of a boat—watching with vigilance for the lurking sea nettles that creep in with the dog days of summer. 

When August arrives, I feel conflicted. There’s a combined sense of hot-weather fatigue (“Look, kids, it’s only going to reach 93 degrees tomorrow—let’s plan something outside before the high goes back up to 99 later in the week!”) and panic (“August!? But that’s almost September. I’m not ready for summer to be over!”) 

The only remedy I’ve found is to treat the last month of summer like a bucket list. Since August 1, I’ve brought the kids to a new splash pad, tried my first gourmet snowball (from a shop called Ice Queens near Fort McHenry in Baltimore—the strawberry lemonade flavor is heaven on a hot day!) and spent a Sunday afternoon at BWI Marshall Airport’s Thomas A. Dixon Observation Area, watching planes take off overhead. 

I figure if I fill August with special experiences, the hot days will pass more quickly and I’ll have no reason for regret when the leaves start to fall. This issue of Bay Weekly comes in the spirit of seizing summer: Plant those vegetables! Have an at-home crab feast! Find that secret spot where the rockfish are biting! 

Of course, part of making the most of summer is staying safe. Tropical Storm Isaias serves as a reminder of the power of an Atlantic hurricane season—not to mention the routine summer evening storms that could pop up on any given night. 

In a season when COVID-19 restrictions encourage us to spend more time outside than ever, we must be especially careful of the heat, at work and at play. 

Bay Weekly covers fun and safety for those of us squeezing the last juicy drops out of these warm months. What will you come up with for your August bucket list?  

In the spirit of changing seasons, Bay Weekly welcomes our newest advertising account manager, Heather Beard. She will take over for Audrey Broomfield, who said goodbye to Bay Weekly this week. We will miss Audrey and we wish her luck in her new marketing role at Homestead Gardens!