An encouraging summer

(Gareth Henderson Photo)

With the sun shining beautifully, and the early-morning air just right, I recently went on my first run of the season. It was a brief jog, up a road near my home, and I could feel the air getting ready to warm up. Just like summer itself.

This warm season is surging ahead, like it always has, but this summer momentum is different: It's giving us something new to cheer for, after the struggles of 2020. And every day shows us more of what's to come. We know travel is picking up, and people are looking to spend much of their time outdoors. People are out running, zipping by on their bicycles, enjoying the tennis court, or maybe visiting lakes and ponds to fish. Parks are a big attraction as well.

In Woodstock, Vermont, numerous people have been visiting the trails of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in recent days, including a number of families.

"At the National Park we continue to see an increase above our seasonal norms in the number of community members and visitors taking advantage of the park’s 20 miles of carriage roads and trails," said Christina Marts, the park's acting superintendent. "This builds on the trend we were seeing at the height of last summer when a beautiful weekend day could inspire over 700 walkers and hikers to hit the trail."

We all remember that summer, when time spent in any outdoor expanse was a true gift, with a profound impact. With that in mind, perhaps the outdoors will feel even more like a place of refuge in summer 2021, where we can find even greater peace — this time amid new progress. Memorable views like seeing Woodstock from the top of Mount Tom, or hiking up to the Pogue, might carry some special meaning for all of us this year. These scenes are still here to brighten our days, to remain nestled in the constant beauty of nature, never departing, always inspiring.

With Memorial Day Weekend — the unofficial start of summer — right around the corner, more people will head to the Green Mountains to experience our natural surroundings, and how good they are for the soul. Those early sunrises and late sunsets complete the picture of progress we've waited for. Summer is always moving, always evolving. And in 2021, it invites us to cheer it on, renew our joy in it, and share that happiness with others. There's no better way to celebrate this new season.

— Gareth Henderson