Tom says...

The first thing you have to do to write an article about summer, is to set up your laptop on the patio table in the backyard on a beautiful, sunny, warm day. It looks nice out, but—false alarm—in roll the clouds and you get back inside. There’s a call from your editor: “Is it done yet?” No, just waiting for that inspiring moment. Finally, a beauty of a day—and it’s only the third week of June.

Now as everyone knows who lives in our climate, there is no better time than summer. I love my winter sports as much as the next person, but once you go through a few Manitoba winters, you learn to cherish every sun-soaked moment of summer.

My other reason for loving summer so much is that the kids are out of school and there’s far less structure. I still get the same feeling of excitement I did when I was young, the same the kids do now, when school lets out and they’re “free” for two whole months.

Now, of course, working in the playground of morning radio as I do, I’ve never had the need to grow up—for which I will be eternally grateful. So when kids tell me they hate school, my response is always, “me too!” We’ve got to take full advantage of this thing they call summer.

It’s time to stay outside late playing on the street and in the park. And when the sun finally goes down, to head inside to watch movies and eat junk food till the early hours of tomorrow. Oh yeah, the kids do it with me too!

Of course, I’m exhausted when I get to the show every morning, after so much play time every day, but I have just as much fun with Joe and the crew, and all the great guests and listeners, that before long I’m back home waking up the kids to go outside.

If I’m one thing, I’m an outdoors guy. Which is somewhat ironic—I don’t hunt, fish, build stuff, own a cottage or even go very close to water, I don’t swim and I hate rain. But I love being outdoors. All the kids know, if it’s nice out, don’t ask about doing something inside, even if we’re doing nothing in particular outdoors. It’s summer in Manitoba and if you’re looking for me, you’ll find me outside.

We do, however, love renting a cottage every July in the Whiteshell. It’s the perfect setting for the outdoor loving guy with no known skills. Beautiful cottage, screened deck, lawn for playing games (football, etc.), private beach, shallow water with buoys designating where it gets deep. Everything the water-fearing dad (the kids call me Safety Sam) could ever hope for.

We’re also lucky this year to be able to bookend a holiday with a short trip out west to the Oregon coast to see my wife Special K’s parents. Little J will join us and we’ll play on the sand dunes, and take a journey east to Toronto with our five sons to hook up with my five brothers and family for the annual McGouran golf tourney.

So you can see why I love summer so much.

I hope to run into you somewhere, some sunny day at the park, on the street, or at the neighbourhood pool. I’ll be the first guy to come up to you to say what a beautiful day it is. You’ll know it’s me–I’ll have extra life jackets with me that you’re more than welcome to use. Have a great summer.

Joe says...

“Heading outdoors” can mean different things to different people. There are those who have always enjoyed warm weather getaways at cottages or trailers, those who love to explore different areas of the continent through camping and those who love to fish or enjoy the water with their boats and Sea-Doos. All great stuff, but as I was putting this list of outdoor activities together, I realized I don’t do any of these things and, at 42, I wonder if it’s not too late to start. I have a lot of friends and family that spend most of their summer away and I’m always invited, but–as the Beatles say–I’m more of a “daytripper.” I’m the “visit for the day/gone by night” guy.

The only camping I’ve done started when my friends and I hit legal age. Actually, calling it camping might be stretching it. We used to load up my van with beer, a tent, beer, beer, hotdogs, buns, beer and a bag of pretzels. Oh yeah, and beer!

The boys and I would be stoked about spending any weekend we could in the great outdoors. We would leave bright and early for our chosen destination and as soon as we got to our campsite, we would organize where the coolers would go, sit down, crack open a beer and talk about when we would set up the tent. After a few cold ones, we would decide the tent thing was overrated. We always just slept in the van or sitting upright in a lawn chair. Funny, how as the night got quieter in the deep woods, we got louder–I guess that’s why we always had to turn up the music. Geez, I wonder why the rules have changed at campgrounds: it seems now you can go with your families and have a peaceful, fun time without having to deal with loogans like...never mind. My current outdoor activity that involves cold beer, hotdogs and pretzels: Bomber games!

Fishing I’ve only tried a couple of times, and thought it was kind of fun. The first time I went was about 30 years ago with my cousin Joe who still fishes to this day. You can’t beat the bonding time, but I do remember an older cousin suggesting that he use the real fishing rod and I, as the rookie, would use the “Pocket Fisherman.” Even at the age of 12, I knew that you would have to be crazy to fish into your pocket to pay for this low-end contraption. Let’s just say if it wasn’t for the tuna sandwiches my aunt had packed us, I wasn’t having any fish that day. Funny thing is, fishing should be right up my alley. I love sitting around and bonding with the boys, having a cold brew. For now the only fish involved in this practice for me are on the field at a Goldeyes game!

Until I’m ready to become the great outdoorsman, I’m still happy spending my summers playing golf and slo-pitch. And hey, they still involve beer!