It might sound a bit strange, but this time of year – the first few weeks of true summer – often reminds me of Halloween.
When I was a kid, I was much more patient than I am today. While many of my friends wanted to gulp down all of the candy from their plastic jack-o-lantern buckets in one sitting, I preferred to ration my pile - I didn’t want to make myself sick. Plus, it always felt good to be the only cool cat in the school cafeteria still eating trick or treat candy in the middle of November.
Unfortunately, when it comes to summer, my commonsense always seems to melt with the late season snow. When the wildflowers finally bloom, the robins return, and the dogs start shedding, I become one of those greedy kids, wanting to consume as much as I can of the Montana summer while the days are hot and wonderfully long.
I’ve been waiting for summer since February, and now that it’s here, I just can’t contain myself. I want to run trails, play tennis, float rivers, camp, backpack, skinny dip (not until it hits 100), ride horses and dirtbikes. I want to play with my dogs in the mountains, in the water, on the cool grassy lawn. There’s so much to do and so little time.
It’s just the beginning of summer and I’m already feeling the effects of warm-weather gluttony. Just over a few weeks ago, I was still wearing long johns and jogging through snow in the mountains (and even in town one day). Finally, Montana looks and feels like a totally different planet – green, lush, balmy – and it all seemed to happen in the blink of an eye.
Now, I’m exhausted, sunburned, mosquito-bitten, and sore all over. In a matter of a week or so, I’ve carried out almost all of the things on my summer to-do list. Why wait? If you snooze, you lose.
My summer days begin the moment the sun literally rises. Jigs, my terrier, can’t wait to begin a new day - dogs are eternal optimists. I’m glad we don’t live in Alaska or we’d die of exhaustion. Montana summer days are the perfect length – just right.
And after so many months of cold weather, it’s easy to forget about mosquitoes. I found out the hard way that they’re living large this year.
I put sunscreen on my face year round, but when you keep your body almost completely covered 8 months out of the year, it’s easy to forget other parts – like those snow-white arms and legs. Just one day in the backcountry without bug spray and sunscreen left me red-speckled and toasted, itchy and ouchy. Not smart on my part.
Just last week my friend, Bill Miller, invited me on an afternoon horseback ride to help him exercise one of his Arabian mares before an upcoming endurance competition. During those three hours trotting and galloping across the buttes and ranchlands outside of Choteau, I was in horse-lover’s heaven. The next day, however, I could barely walk, sit down, or laugh (even my stomach muscles were sore). Just a few more rides and I’ll either get myself back into shape or need a wheelchair.
And with the arrival of warm weather, I’ve also bumped up my running miles. On a long training run in the Elkhorn Mountains, I didn’t notice a stick catch in the laces of my sneakers and face-planted myself to the ground. Thankfully, I didn’t break my nose (or neck) because the trail was thick mud and running water. After I spit the muck from my mouth and picked the sludge out of my nose and eyes and ears, I realized I twisted my shoulder in the tumble. For now, I’m a one-armed tennis player and equestrian.
My dogs, Borage and Jigs, have jumped right into summer too. They’ve already had a meeting with a porcupine and been sprayed by a skunk. This time of year can be hard on the body and the nose.
Life is short and so is summer in Montana. It’s okay to be greedy and devour these delightful days – just be prepared for a little “indigestion.”
Play now, recover later.
( 0 Votes )
