Summary

Nancy Oglesby nostalgically recounts her idyllic childhood summers spent at the lake with friends and family, participating in various outdoor activities, and reflects on how these experiences shaped her appreciation for the season despite her current aversion to heat.

Abstract

The narrative transports readers to a carefree time in the author's life during the summer months. It highlights the joy and simplicity of childhood through activities such as swimming, playing sports, and exploring nature. Oglesby reminisces about the private beach that served as a central hub for fun and adventure with friends, where the high school girls' sunbathing was a spectacle, and Phil's Beach offered more organized entertainment. The article paints a vivid picture of summer freedom, from making daisy chains and riding keg horses to the thrill of fireworks during the town's July 4th celebration. The author also contrasts her adult perspective on summer heat with the unbridled enthusiasm of her youth, and hints at a desire to recapture some of that magic next year, possibly with a new lake or pool. The piece concludes with an invitation for readers to join a summer writing contest and the mention of other writers whose work is recommended.

Opinions

The author views the lake as a beloved childhood home, particularly during the summer.
The fancy high school girls' reactions to water and their sunbathing habits are seen as comical and a source of amusement.
Phil's Beach is fondly remembered as an exciting destination with daring high dives and unique water equipment like the slippery merry-go-round and keg horses.
The older sister and friends' creation of a day camp is portrayed as a special and cherished memory for the author and the younger children.
The author expresses a sense of wonder and delight in the simple joys of childhood, such as eating rhubarb, peaches from an accidental tree, and watermelon.
The small-town Fourth of July celebration, "Frontier Days," is recalled with warmth and affection.
While currently not fond of excessive heat, the author still values the beauty of summer, as evidenced by her plant choices and a lingering desire for a waterfront retreat.
Oglesby encourages a love of writing by inviting readers to join Medium and participate in a summer writing contest.
The author pays homage to other Medium writers, suggesting that their work is of high quality and worth reading.

Summer is for the Children!

DEP Summer Contest

All images in this story are from the author’s own collection. L-R: Author, Norman, Susie, Betty. (Norman is now an award-winning chef!)

Lake Rats

We were lake rats! We didn’t care about a little bit of green algae. Spring was over and summer was just beginning. The lake was our home for the next three months, morning, noon, and night!

Our private beach wasn’t anything fancy. It served about 20–30 homes and had a sandy beach, a raft, a pier, and a picnic table. It was heaven!

The fancy schmancy high school girls were laid out like sardines in a tin, slathered in baby oil, while sunbathing on the raft. One cannonball and they’d start shrieking about their hair getting wet. Their absence reduced the fun we had as we vied for the top honor of being the kid who got them the wettest.

(Top: author; bottom left: author; bottom right: author’s cousin Brian.)

Phil’s Beach

As if having your own beach wasn’t cool enough, for special outings we went to Phil’s Beach. You had to pay to get in, they had a store, concession stand, lifeguards, and fun water equipment.

The high dives were seriously high! When I returned as an adult, I was shocked that my 10-year-old self would just climb up to the tippy top and jump right off. Ahhhh … youth! There were three levels and as an adult, the lowest level was high enough.

Keg horses were a blast! They took old kegs, put a horse’s head and tail made out of wood on each end, and painted on a saddle. The goal was to get on and stay on. It wasn’t easy!

They also had a gigantic merry-go-round that sat on an angle. The top was well out of the water and the bottom was about eight inches or a foot into the water. The goal was to hang on as it turned while water poured across it making it super slippery. (I’m guessing it’s gone since it was probably an insurance liability.)

Author (in wheelbarrow) and her cousin, Monica.

Back Home

When we weren’t in the lake we were playing backyard baseball, catching crawfish in the creek, playing horses in the woods, climbing trees, building tree forts, and riding bikes.

My sister and Jane, two of the ‘camp’ counselors.

My older sister and two of her friends created a week-long day camp for us littles. The spot they chose was in a copse of trees alongside a creek and surrounded by fields of wildflowers and grasses. Making daisy chains, braiding grass, and singing songs are the only activities I remember, but my overall memories are of it being special. (As I write this I wonder if she remembers doing this.)

We picked rhubarb and puckered up while eating on a dare. A peach tree grew from a seed one of us tossed out the window, and actually produced peaches several years later. We’d sit outside, eating watermelon and spitting the seeds as the juice ran down our chins and to our elbows.

The small town I grew up in had a small town July 4th celebration called Frontier Days. There were fireworks, cotton candy, a Ferris wheel, and Tilt-A-Whirl. We parked ourselves on a blanket near the firemen and oohed and ahhed through the fireworks.

There were badminton, archery, parks, merry-go-rounds, and ice cream. All things we loved as kids.

The summer heat had no effect on us. We ran, rode, and swam without ever looking at a thermometer. The only time we went inside was for lunch, dinner, and bedtime, and if we could get out of any of those, we would.

Now, I am not a lover of heat. If the day is over 85F, and the humidity is in play, it’s a bit too much for me. I do love gardening but choose plants that don’t require much care through the hot months.

Oh, and I no longer have a lake or a pool to step into … maybe next year.

summer and children ice cream and cotton candy crafted in heaven

What beautiful images Elvie Lins brought us from Austria … stunning!

My Summer Journey to Lunersee in Austria

“Make the most of summer and get outside to explore the world!”

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And Penofgold takes a unique approach to summer with her story.

Summer Journey

DEP Summer Contest

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Would you like to write about summer? Why not join the contest?

Dancing Elephants Press Summer 2023 Contest Begins

Ready for Summer? DEP Summer Contest.

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