Summer

"So, what are you doing this summer?" I was at a picnic last Saturday night, and the person across from me was making polite conversation by asking a question about my summer plans. I'm sure he was not implying that I have nothing to do for the next nine weeks. No, his question was not phrased in the sense that I'm a teacher, therefore, in the summer, I'm a bum. Oh, wait. Give me time to hide my summer bumper sticker: "Don't hate me because I'm a teacher. " Hmmmm .... on Saturday I was just glad I didn't have to leave the picnic right after dinner in order to grade essays in the van. Actually, as I was leaving home for the picnic, I started to take my school bag. Then I remembered that I didn't have any papers to grade.

Today is July 15, the day that I have heard described as the point when summer goes downhill. Indeed, the days get noticeably shorter and hotter, and it is only a matter of time until the flowers fade and autumnal breezes dust the horizon. It's a bummer. But on the other hand, I can't imagine a better summer. I always make great summer plans, including a beach vacation, getting lots of exercise (and a great tan), planting vegetables, picking fruit, growing flowers. I will stop there, because I can already hear snickers from those closest to me. When my daughter was an infant, I took a hiatus from most of my grandiose ideas.

The weather is finally getting warmer, and that means that your outside activity options explode with variety. It's no fun staying inside for all your workouts when the great outdoors are calling. Here are some fun activities that will help you stay in shape, and enjoy your summer. Frisbee Yes, a game of Frisbee can be pretty athletic as you jump and dive all over the place trying to catch those terrible passes your friend keeps throwing. Here's an idea: Take your Frisbee to your local football field, throw it as far as you can down the field, then sprint to where it lands.

TRI-STATE - Though not a regular at the Claude M. Potterfield Pool, Hagerstown resident Casey Williams decided to take her daughters, Alexis Dawson, 4, and Emily Brubeck, 2, for a last dip Monday, the last day the pool was open to the public this season. Alexis often went swimming with her grandmother, Williams said. But for Williams, Monday's outing was a way of "just enjoying my holiday. " Both the Potterfield pool and the pool at Martin L. "Marty" Snook Memorial Park in Halfway enjoyed an attendance bump Monday, with swimmers arriving who usually frequented other public pools that already had closed.

There are a number of volunteer opportunities this summer for men and women 55 and older. Here are just a few:  Middle school sessions run from June 27 to July 21, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Thursday (no Fridays); full or part-time volunteers welcome. Volunteers assist students with standard subject needs within a new project focus developed by the teacher.  The Washington County Museum of Fine Arts has 87 programs that run from mid-June through the first week in August.

Editor's note: This column originally was published in 2009. What are your plans for summer? Do you intend to invest some quality time in your family at home or while traveling? Perhaps you'll encourage your children to spend more time outside, away from the television, computer and video games. Maybe they need a little help maintaining a balanced diet. Are there some vegetables or fruits that they've never tried? Find a recipe you can make together and enjoy your meal at a leisurely pace.

The Hagerstown area could get enough rain this week to match or surpass the amount the area received all summer. As of Tuesday evening, the Hagerstown area had received .61 inches of rain Tuesday and 1.79 inches for the duration of the weather event that began Monday, according to local weather observer Greg Keefer's website. The National Weather Service is forecasting more rain tonight and Thursday, with a chance of an additional 3 to 4 1/2 inches of rain during that time, according to its website.

Let's go from the dog days of summer to the boys of summer. • The Hagerstown Suns have been fun to watch. Try to make it to a few games before the season ends. A full schedule can be found on the team's Web page. • Congratulations to the young men playing in the Pony League-13 World Series in California. They played exceedingly well and advanced to the final four this weekend. Great job, guys. • If baseball is a favorite of your family, then Discovery Station in downtown Hagerstown has a great exhibit for you. Some interesting highlights of the exhibit are local and national baseball, World Series venues, interviews from players who began their careers in Hagerstown and more.

Laura Baldasarre of Hagerstown plays the violin Wednesday at Shepherd University's Summer Strings Camp.

Courtney Stull, who will be in 10th grade at Greencastle-Antrim High School this fall, takes notes in a summer speech class Wednesday at the high school.

The annual Ruth Ann V. Monroe Summer Basketball League has been a Wheaton Park tradition for decades. Participants said the league in the park dates back to the 1970s, and they reminisced Sunday about the good times: the frozen Snickers bars, the horseshoe pits and the concerts that accompanied the hours of play on the basketball court. “Great memories. Great memories,” said Wayne Mason, who moved to Hagerstown from Shepherdstown, W.Va., when he was 12 years old and spent many days hanging out in the park for tournaments.

The For Our Kids Sake organization and the newly named Robert W. Johnson Community Center (formerly Memorial Recreation Center) want to thank the community for supporting the fashion and talent show on June 2 at the Martin Luther King Center. The event included 14 models ranging in age from 2 through 20, and two soloists. A big thank you goes to everyone, and the organizers look forward to the community's continued support for other fundraisers to be held before the bus trip to the amusement park scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 10.  Donations can also be made at any Hagerstown Trust branch to account number 141518.

It's that time of year.   School's out. Moms run into other moms at the grocery store. They say, “How are you?” and then they pop the question. It's the default question that seems to be in the hard drive of suburban, middle-class moms.   “What are YOUR plans for summer?”   Most ask just to make conversation. Some ask because they are interested in you and your family, and trying to learn more of what you are about. Then there are those few who seem to use the question as a barometer to measure their own parenting and to re-affirm their socioeconomic standing.

When you hear the phrase “the boys of summer,” what comes to mind? Is it the 1984 hit by Don Henley? Or do your thoughts turn to baseball like a friend of mine, to the Nationals or the Orioles? Or to the nonfiction work by Roger Kahn about the Brooklyn Dodgers? For me, the boys of summer were the boys that got summer jobs on the farms around our county. There was a time when high school youths would be employed on area farms to load and unload hay and straw, as well as other seasonal jobs.

Afternoon rain limited outdoor activities on the first day of summer break for Washington County Public Schools students - and Friday isn't likely to be any different. Rain is expected to fall on Washington County periodically through Saturday morning, National Weather Service Meteorologist Kevin Witt said Thursday. “It looks like we should be seeing about an inch and a half to 2 1/2 inches,” Witt said. “It's not going to be a 48-hour steady rain.” The rain is expected to be at its heaviest Friday from about 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., when up to 1.5 inches alone could fall on the county.

Students and teachers exchanged hugs outside Hancock Elementary School Wednesday morning as the lyrics “What time is it? Summertime. It's our vacation,” blared from the school. Some students already on their buses waved and shouted out “Love you” and “See you in the summer” to teachers who had lined up on the sidewalk to wave goodbye to students leaving in buses, cars and sports utility vehicles for the summer. Except for seniors, whose school year ended earlier, Wednesday's early dismissal was the last school day of the academic year for Washington County Public Schools.

Monocacy National Battlefield will host a regular schedule of free summer ranger programs. On weekdays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., National Park Service rangers will present “Race to Washington,” an orientation to the Battle of Monocacy. On Saturday and Sunday, the battlefield orientation will be presented at 3 p.m., with additional programs covering a variety of subjects offered at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The 11 a.m. programs will focus on the history of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Junction through stories about the Civil War, civilian life at that time, and the experiences of free and enslaved blacks.

Laurel Good, associate director of Girls Inc. of Washington County, receives a $2,000 donation from the Hagerstown Kiwanis Club. Presenting the check is Harry “Bud” Barger, chairman of the club's youth services committee. The gift will support the summer camp for children at Girls Inc.

School has been winding down, and on a recent evening my daughter flashed a smile in our direction as she rounded the corner into our dining room. “I love not having homework,” she said with a delighted laugh. I have to admit that it will be nice for her to not have the pressure of added deadlines and responsibilities for a while. Like many students, she has worked very hard this year to learn and to achieve good grades. Students, parents and teachers all need a break at about this time.

“Groundbreaking Reads” is the theme for Washington County Free Library's 2013 Adult Summer Reading Program. Groundbreaking books of the reader's choice, including fiction or nonfiction, new or not-so-new releases, will be explored. Or if you prefer, pick up some music CDs, a movie or an audio book. The library has them, too. Participants can go to src.washcolibrary.org and download free music from the Freegal site, read a magazine at Zinio or download a book for portable readers from its eLibrary.