Summer in Mount Shasta

I spent the weekend recovering from a group yard sale suggested by a neighbor that started with the idea of “how bad could it be?” The answer came loud and clear: I’m done with yard/garage sales. I will never again buy things I don’t need, and I will give away the things I unknowingly accumulated.

If there is a Certified Minimalist Accreditation Program somewhere, sign me up.

My recovery attempts led me to doing a lot of things unique to Mount Shasta. We had a Father’s Day brunch bordering on dinner at the Hi-Lo in Weed (not my choice, but the Hi-Lo is consistent if not healthy), I took the dogs swimming in the creek by our house, we went to the lake (because one swim is not enough for the dog), and meditated in the forest.

Once summer is in full force in Mount Shasta, I seem to develop amnesia that the winters here can be so brutal. Every day feels like perfection. Summer in Mount Shasta feels like you planned the most perfect vacation you could have ever planned, and the weather cooperates completely. It’s like this EVERY DAY. Sure, you get a hot day here and there, but because we are blessed with no humidity, the nights always cool down.

And for those hot days, you only need to travel up a few thousand feet to get relief. For those cold days, you can always travel to Redding to escape the cold and snow. And coming from Chicago, I’ll just say that Mount Shasta’s idea of “cold” has no idea what cold really is.

Mount Shasta summer is sublime. Through the survival of ten feet crazy snowdrifts in the driveway, we have earned this.

• The Fourth of July is a really big deal. The fifth of July feels like you’re falling off a cliff into a snowdrift.
• The sky is clearer and bluer than it is anywhere else I’ve ever been.
• It’s hot in the sun, cool in the shade. We don’t have an air conditioner and don’t need one.
• Tourists EVERYWHERE.
• The probability of running into an actual Telosian rises exponentially.
• The probability of running into someone looking for an actual Telosian is near 100%.
• If it rains, it’s snowing somewhere.
• The mountain is more beautiful in the summer than anything else I’ve seen.
• The bears make themselves known, though you’ll probably smell one before you see one.
• The population of the town quadruples for about 3 weeks.The population of my neighborhood doubles.
• At least two-thirds of the tourists are carrying massive cameras requiring chiropractic adjustments post vacation. Don’t we have smaller options now?
• I don’t have to shovel snow, but I do have to water my garden twice a day because it isn’t going to rain.
• Sprinkler systems and drip hoses are a girl’s best friend.
• It cools down enough every night to remind you that winter never really leaves. If you need a reminder of that, just look up.