There beneath the blue suburban skies

Summer may have arrived early in Rhode Island.

I can remember it being unseasonably cool all summer last year.  We didn’t even think about putting the a/c units up until late July, and got around to doing it mainly because we had company coming to stay with us.  It was in the 60s every day and 50s at night through July.

Not that I complained.  I am not a fan of summer, which, if you have read me for long enough, is something you’d already know.  Fortunately the last two states I’ve lived in have complied with my wishes and haven’t gotten too terribly hot.  That was doubly important in Washington since we didn’t have a/c at all.  We didn’t need it!  It would be hot for all of a week or two.  It was just a waste of money to buy a/c units.

Here, it’s hot for about a month, maybe six weeks — at least, by last year’s pattern.  It is worth it to buy the a/c units, mainly so we can sleep at night.  In Washington that was never a problem because no matter how hot it got during the day, it would always drop into the 50s at night.  It was like Nature’s air conditioning, and it was lovely.

Today was wicked hot.  Well.  Not really.  It was only about 75º, but under the blazing sun it felt a lot warmer.  It made for a lovely day for photos, however.

Kurt took the morning off to take me to breakfast (the first time in a looooooooooong time he’s been able to do that), but on the way home we just couldn’t figure out what we wanted to do.  The antique store was closed, and we didn’t really have the time to head up to Massachusetts to go to Target.  We ended up driving around aimlessly, and that’s how we were up at Island Park to take the above photo.

I love those beachfront homes, especially the red one.  It seems to be a popular architectural style here in New England because I see a lot of homes shaped like that.  Many have the cedar shakes that have weathered to grey, and while I find them charming, Kurt’s not really a fan.  Hmph.  I think we can agree on something beautiful like that red house, though.

We also ended up at Easton’s Beach, which if you’re a beach bum and you’ve been to Newport, that’s where you hung out.  Me, I’ve never been, mainly because I am not a fan of the beach (have you seen how pale I am?), and also because it’s just too dang crowded.  When my friends came to visit last summer, we took them to a beach known mainly to locals to circumvent the crowds.

I just wish the beaches were free.  Or at least cost a lot less money.  Going to that local beach cost us $20 per car.  Ouch.

But with the weather being so nice and warm, and really the hottest day thus far, I decided it was time to haul out the hose for the girls.  Initially I wanted to fill up the inflatable pool we have, but when Kurt had the pump running for a good 15 minutes and it was still barely inflated, I gave up.  Who knows.  It might be riddled with holes.  On to plan B!  But plan B involved this plastic mat that my in-laws had given us a year or two ago, and when the kids jumped on it as it filled with water, one of the sides burst.

So much for a fun water toy.

Plan C then, right?!  Not so much.  All I had left at this point was a generic slip n’ slide.  The first problem is that the water never really shot out of the holes.  I think the darn thing is too long to get any good water pressure built up.  Secondly, I don’t have a sloped yard.  It is flatter than flat — so sliding down a slip n’ slide isn’t really possible.

Poor kids.  No pool, no water mat, and now the slip n’ slide sucks.

Well, they didn’t know the slip n’ slide sucked.  They thought it was great!  But I have learned my lesson and will invest in an old-skool lawn sprinkler for maximum fun.  And I think I may have to invest in one of those plastic wading pools that are a foot deep so the kids can play.  I’m pretty much done with anything inflatable.  It’s too easy to break.

Tomorrow should be even hotter.  I think a trip to Job Lots or Benny’s to stock up on water toys is in order!