June has always been my favorite month of the year. For one thing, two of my grandkids were born in June – I call them my “Junebug birthdays.” I was also born in June, so there are lots of birthday cakes and barbecues at my house this month.
I grew up in a small town in Maryland, with a breathtaking view of the Allegheny Mountains from every window of our house. In June, the flowers would be bursting with color – the mammoth bushes of wild roses growing in our yard were always in full bloom on my birthday! And, there were Junebugs everywhere – those pesky, brown beetles that would cling to the screen door. A robin built a nest in the same apple tree every year, and I would anxiously wait for the eggs to hatch.
There are other things I liked about June as a kid: of course, it’s the month when school was out for the summer! There were family vacations to Ocean City to look forward to, and riding my bike over to my best friend’s house, as well as long, lazy days sunbathing on the dock at the pond behind the horse barn. My siblings and I spent hours exploring the mountainside, and wading around in Will’s Creek to catch tadpoles. We didn’t have cell phones, so my mom rang the loud dinner bell to signal that supper was ready, or that it was time to come in for the night. At dusk, we’d run around the yard catching fireflies in glass jars. Oh, to be a kid again in the summertime!
Also on the calendar in June is Father’s Day. We always celebrated the occasion with special cards and gifts, and Dad would barbecue chicken or steaks on the grill. Since strawberries are at their peak in June, we always had strawberry shortcake made with berries from our garden.
There’s one thing I didn’t like about June – weeding the garden! Now that I live in Michigan, I still look forward to picking strawberries in June. Last year, I took all of my grandkids berry-picking at Spicer’s Orchard in Fenton. I’m pretty sure that they ate as many as they picked.
Of course, June is the kick-off month for the many of the area’s summer festivals and events. I always enjoy going to the Grand Blanc Greek Festival for the delicious, authentic Greek food and lively entertainment. The Flushing Summer Fair and the Sloan Museum Auto Show are two more June events not to be missed.
After such a cold spring, I love the hot, summer days that are finally here! But what do I like best about June? Golf season is in full swing on the many wonderful golf courses in the area. A Saturday morning round of golf … now, that’s what I really like best about June.
