fitness · nature · season transitions · temperature and exercise · yoga

Christine Pretends It’s Summer

Christine Hennebury

I’m a creative and imaginative person and I enjoy using those skills in all kinds of different contexts.

I do not, however, enjoy having to use my creativity and imagination to pretend that it is summer.

Sure, technically, that’s the season we’re in but in my part of NL we have been having a very unsummery June.

We’ve had lots of rain, drizzle, and fog (a.k.a. RDF) and, as of last week, we hadn’t reached 20 degrees Celsius yet. I’m not sure if that one sunny day we had recently broke that unfortunate streak of chilly temperatures but even if it did, one warm day can’t really shake off the gloom of so many dreary ones.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am grateful to be safe from drought and fires and smoke. I recognize that there are far greater troubles in the world than a month of disheartening weather.

But disheartening weather is still disheartening.

And I could really use some heartening during this emotionally difficult time in my life.

It’s much easier to feel hopeful, try new things, and get yourself moving when you have some sunshine and when you can wear bright colours.

(Yes, yes, I can wear bright-coloured clothing at any time but my summer clothes have a different feel to them – you know what I mean!)

Anyway, despite the disappointing weather, I have still been doing some summery things – a little gardening, tidying the yard, taking longer walks, using my swing, and sitting outside to read (bundled in a blanket, but still!)

Yesterday morning (Monday), though, I took it a step further and really pretended that the weather was warm.

A photo of a yoga mat on a deck on a dull day, deck chairs, railings, trees, a lawn and a swing are in the background.
Image description: a close-to-the-ground cloudy day photo of my patio with my yoga mat stretching out length-wise between the camera and the space where my patio steps are. At the far end of the mat, on either side of the opening for the steps are patio railings (wooden tops with black uprights), a patio chair with a red cushion, and a white table hanging off the railing. Beyond the deck is a green lawn and on the far side of the lawn there are trees and a fence and an orange patio chair. My green disk swing is hanging from one of the trees.

Yep, I dragged my mat outside and practiced out there.

It was only about 6 degrees Celsius, it was threatening to rain, and the sky was dull, but I did my yoga outside because that’s the kind of thing I like doing this time of year.

The weather is making it hard to feel summery but I am determined to have a summer fun all the same.

Even if it starts to rain immediately after I take photo evidence.

a photo of Khalee - my light-haired, medium-sized dog standing on my deck looking back over her shoulder towards me. Most of the ​deck boards are wet with rain but the ones closest to me are sheltered by the roof overhang so they aren’t wet yet.
Image description: a photo of Khalee – my light-haired, medium-sized dog standing on my deck looking back over her shoulder towards me. Most of the deck boards are wet with rain but the ones closest to me are sheltered by the roof overhang so they aren’t wet yet.

Published by Christine Hennebury

I'm a writer/storyteller/director/creativity & lifestory coach with a black belt in ITF Taekwon-do. I read voraciously and I write like my fingers are on fire. I'm the founder and Chair of the Association for the Arts in Mount Pearl and I'm a former president of the St. John's Storytelling Festival. I bake a mean chocolate chip cookie.

2 thoughts on “Christine Pretends It’s Summer”

  1. Oh, Christine. I’m so sorry! This post reminded me of when it snowed, well sleeted, on my Newfoundland bike trip in June.

  2. Pingback: Summer Fun! Finally! – FIT IS A FEMINIST ISSUE

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