A friend asked me on Facebook the other day how I did on my Bucket List. In the early part of the summer, inspired by the simple pleasure of watching an approaching storm, I grabbed a sheet of notebook paper and a pen and started jotting down my “Bucket List.” This was not one like the list Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman penned in the movie of that name, listing things they wished to do before “kicking the bucket.” This list was more of a Summer Bucket List of things I wished to do and experience before summer gave way to autumn.

With summer officially over, I pulled up the list and here are the results:

* Sink my toes into the silky, soft sand of the ocean. Let the waves suck the sand from beneath my toes. Check! But not often enough. The Isle of Palms was the location of bogey boarding and my first sunburn of the season.

* Dip my “dawgs” in a cool mountain stream. Check! Deep Creek, N.C. is a very cold creek in early June. I’m surprised you didn’t hear me whoop and holler in Orangeburg County! I watched our church youth tube down the river and our pastor get flipped over as he cascaded down some rapids. His white hair was well camouflaged in the white water. Yes, the Methodist minister got baptized right there in the river!

* Watch a hummingbird sip from the feeder and listen to the hum of his wings. Listen to the chatter of other hummingbirds vying for the same feeder. Check! They could fight for hours. It made me realize there are people in the world like the hummers who are so “busy” looking at what others are doing that they can’t enjoy what they have right in front of them.

* Circle up with friends on the porch at night. Rock and laugh as we share and care with one another. Check! It is so good to have friends. Laughter is the best medicine.

* Listen to a baby’s belly laugh. Unfortunately, there aren’t too many babies around me. But I did put in the videotape of my son, Will, when he was seven months old and laughing when he would tip his cup and ice would fall on his face. Hard to believe that was 16 years ago!

* Buy lemonade from children at their stand. This one didn’t get checked, either. These days, not many mamas allow their children to be alone on the street to sell lemonade to strangers. In addition, with the economy like it is, their profits might get stolen by some thug. That is sad.

* Watch fireflies dance in the night as the cicadas sing. Check! That is pure summer magic.

* Swing in a hammock. Check! The mosquitoes tried their best to deplete me of my blood, and the squirrels have taken a toll on my hammock. Apparently, they find hammock rope tasty.

* Play a round of putt-putt. Not checked … but I did watch and keep score.

* Make a sand “drizzle” castle. Check! I found this quite soothing.

* Watch the sunset turn the sky from scarlet to a smoky purple haze. Check!

* Watch a cloud drift across the sky. Take turns with the kids guessing what the clouds look like. Stop and smell the roses … really. Check ‘em all! I planted Knock Out Roses and reaped the benefits.

* Eat sweet corn rolled in melted butter and doused with salt. Check! Blood pressure still good.

* Get involved in a good water fight! Check! Be sure to be the one with the water hose!

* Partake of watermelon and, yes, spit the seeds as far as possible. Check … kind of! I ate but didn’t spit. Decorum got the best of me.

* Make a churn of homemade ice cream, call the neighbors over and enjoy! Check! A half a gallon of chocolate milk, 12 oz. Cool Whip and sweetened condensed milk makes for a great frosty drink.

It was a FULL summer! Check!!!

T&D Correspondent Julie Campbell Sohm can be reached by e-mail at sohm23@embarqmail.com.

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