Fresh Ideas: Summertime, and the living is easy

Once school is out, my biological time clock says it's summertime.

Officially, summer doesn't start until next week. Never mind that I haven't been in school since the '70s - I still think in the seasonal rhythms of childhood.

I grew up back East, near a small swimable river, and within driving distance of a waveless ocean beach. My mother and I had a schedule of sorts - beach day, food shopping day, library day, and a swim at the river most days. But it felt like no schedule at all, which is one of the joys of summer that I attempt to recapture as an adult, for my child and myself.

Summer is the great escape. Of course it is the perfect time to go and do: the family vacation or the visit to distant relatives. But it is also the perfect time to do nothing - or nearly nothing - right here and still feel like you're a million miles away. And it doesn't have to cost much at all.

The Farmer's Market starts this afternoon and will be held every Wednesday throughout the summer at the Pony Express Pavilion. Get there early to claim bouquets of fresh flowers and specialty breads. Stroll among the vendors selling just-picked vegetables, fruits, and home grown tomatoes, in a class by themselves. And there's usually cotton candy and kettle popcorn for the kids.

The obvious antidote to a hot summer day is cool water. Once the Carson pool renovation is officially completed, the outdoor pool and water slide should be ready for summer fun. The Douglas County swim center in Minden is another alternative, along with the Bowers Mansion pool in Washoe Valley. And of course for seriously cool water there's always Sand Harbor, the quintessential Nevada beach experience.

You wouldn't expect to be refreshed at a hot springs in the summer, but with a brisk afternoon breeze at the Carson Hot Springs, it can happen.

The water's warm, the pool's been renovated, and the view of the mountains is unobstructed. It's also a wonderful evening escape, as dusk settles in to cool things off.

Some people would rather watch paint dry than fish, but for the rest of us, especially with fisher-kids, the entire experience can be an escape from daily life. Pack a picnic and head south to Gardnerville's Lampe Park, where children under 17 can fish in the stream that runs through it. Without the temptation of fishing, the parent or guardian can read, nap, or just sit, when not untangling lines and baiting hooks.

Davis Creek Lake is another possibility, set among the tall pines on the western edge of the Washoe Valley not far from Bowers Mansion. The lake is stocked with trout, daring fishing folk of all ages to catch them if they can.

Need a change of scene? Visit a garden and nursery center like the Greenhouse Garden Center on South Curry Street. Enter near the many flowing fountains, and explore the herbs, vegetables, shrubs, and flowers of all kinds. Walk among and beneath groves of young trees, and linger near the alphabetized rows of rose bushes. In the spring, I discovered the grove of weeping cherry trees in full bloom, a pink and white canopy. On Sunday, the tall wispy butterfly bushes were in full purple bloom and attracting yellow butterflies. It can be that kind of experience.

One pre-teen year, I spent the entire summer reading on the screen porch. Reading is the ultimate escape for me, and the journey begins at the library. The secret is browsing. You can find what you were looking for, or something you weren't looking for until it found you.

The air-conditioned Carson City Library probably has what you're looking for, but if they don't, they can figure out how to get it.

Before the computer age, I'd browse in the musty card catalogue, feeling the rough edge of the cards with my fingertips, not knowing where those alphabetized cards would take me. Today, the electronic catalogue assisted by the Internet can have the same result, without the sensory special effects.

The visit is only half the fun, because a new adventure begins with every borrowed book. The Carson City Library is planning summer programs for youth, with a kickoff pancake breakfast on June 24. Call them at 887-2244 to find out more.

With warm days and clear nights, star gazing is a wonderful way to end the day. Get away from the city lights and find a comfortable spot to count the stars, contemplate the universe, and plan tomorrow's summer escape.

(Abby Johnson consults on rural community development, grant management and nuclear waste issues. She is married and has one middle school-aged child.)