The Fourth of July is over. How can it be? My Grandmother always said once the 4th is over, summer is over. I always disagreed, but inevitably I would blink and it would be fall and we would be heading back to school. Summer feels fleeting.

That’s why it may take some intention to make the most of the season, especially during this pandemic year. The months have just sort of slipped away as we have been under quarantine. Now, restrictions are lifting, but many still remain in place. And even if places are opening, it doesn’t mean that you want to engage.

So, this is a unique year to create a Summer Bucket List that suits how you are feeling and how you want to enjoy summer this year. For many, travel is off the table or rather people are taking near-to-home road trips. Perhaps that is on your summer bucket list? Heading off for a little get away near your home.

Perhaps planting a garden or tending your flowers and yard is on your bucket list. The planting probably should have been done by now, but caring for your yard is an on-going task. Taking time to dig in the dirt, care for plants and flowers, and gussying up one’s yard are all grounding tasks that can take advantage of the weather and season.

Maybe this is the year to complete an outdoor renovation project, like building a deck or putting in a shed to organize yourself. All this time at home has certainly allowed us to see what we would like to improve about it, and now that we are living in our yards with the summer season, perhaps your attention heads to a juicy project to complete this season.

Maybe you are canning and preserving your favorite summer fruits and vegetables for the fall and winter? This is an old fashioned art that may delight you this season. It’s definitely from yesterday year, but again there is something satisfying with taking the summer’s bounty and preserving it for your future enjoyment on cold, dark days.

What’s on my Summer Bucket List? I have a few things:

1. Hike obscure trails near my home with my family.
2. Revisit classic books.
3. Care for my flowers — how much will they bloom before summer’s end?
4. Renovating my home – much needed. Even undertaking it feel gigantic.
5. Spending quality time with my pets – we are welcoming a puppy later this year and so being with my current furry friends before chaos arrives feels really important.

Feels like quite a list given I’ve got about 10 weeks left of summer. Here’s to creating a Summer Bucket List and checking off a few items between now and fall.