still summer evening

This is one of my favorite summer hours–when the sun casts long shadows on the earth with hours of daylight still left in the sky, the winds calm and ever so gently rustling leaves high in the treetops, the temperature perfect enough to be comfortable in shorts or pants, T-shirt or tank top.

These are the hours for laying in a hammock with a book, taking a leisurely bike ride down an empty road, firing up the grill for a midsummer barbecue. These are the hours when it is easy to feel joyful and at peace. These are the hours when the soul can be at rest.