Our three kids know their part in this yearly routine.
As our young family makes the drive home from my parents' beach cottage on Labor Day Weekend, we end up roadside under the shadow of a huge sand dune ready for one last attempt to keep the summer fun going. Summers have been ending here for a few decades... since I was the tanned, little eight-year old begging my dad to pull over "for a one last run up the sand dune".
Certainly we don't need to do it.
We're all tired out from oodles of beach fun and we're all completely sandy - in hair, in toes, everywhere... I am always beyond-ready for the comfort of home and a hot shower. But the summer season wouldn't be complete without our big, "one foot in front of the other" climb and a laughing, tumbling run down this ten-story-high sand dune.
Summer 2009, we will miss you.
********************************************************************** Sunshine in a bag?
7D Dried Mangoes are a tasty way to carry around a bit of summer.
Harvested until the end of July, this fresh tropical fruit is bursting with smiling days of sun.
How do we know?
"Summer Smiles" are not on the ingredient list to be sure, but anyone tasting this tropical treat tends to have it leak out onto their face.