When I was a kid, my family lived on a large lot, probably an acre or so, but I was too young to really understand those measurements. We had a huge backyard with a small creek at the back edge, a treehouse over the creek, a vegetable garden, flower beds, and plenty of space to run. And that space made for a memorable summer evening one year.

Summertime Memories

I have a lot of good memories of being out in the garden in the summer, and I continue to make those memories. Being outside has always been a favorite pastime of mine, whether working in the garden, playing as a kid, or as an adult just relaxing with a drink and a book.

My favorite season has always been summer and my favorite time in the garden is in the evening. There’s nothing quite like a warm summer evening when the heat of the day has passed and the sun is low in the sky.

As a young child, that was the time when we had to get ready for bed. Instead of running out in the yard as the sun set, we had to take our baths and hear a last story for the night. But one night when I was seven or eight years old, we got a huge surprise – we were allowed to go out in the yard when we should have been in bed.

Balloon Landing in the Summer Garden

Some people flying over in a hot air balloon saw our large backyard and determined it was a good place to land. I had never seen one up close before and when it came down, it impossibly covered most of the lawn. It also drew the entire neighborhood to your backyard.

As the balloon deflated, all the kids rushed it. We had so much fun punching it down to the ground and admiring the sheer size of it. Of course, even better was that instead of being in bed we were all allowed to spend a little more time on that beautiful summer night running around the garden – catching fireflies, playing and having a wild time.