27 May 2025 — Or, for extra sibilance, seven street-side signs of summer.

Because there they all were, as I walked a modest loop near home: one sign after another that we Canadians know what season this is, even if the solstice hasn’t yet rolled around. The May Two-Four weekend is behind us, and summer has begun.

Sign # 1: sidewalk tree, boasting a brand-new swing.

Sign # 2: lawn cat, luxuriating in the new warmth of the earth.

Sign # 3: fencepost cat, rocking his brand-new sunglasses.

Sign # 4: a pair of geese (faux), nesting in the gravel (real).

Sign # 5: a solo goose (real), nibbling new blades of grass (also real).

Sign # 6: garage-top veggies, tilting their faces to the sun.

And finally…

Sign # 7: victims of spring cleaning, hoping to find a new home.

Would you like a bonus sign of summer? I found myself walking on the shady side of the street.

I can almost see you nodding in recognition. All winter long, we walk on the sunny side. And then, suddenly, one day, oup-là!, it’s the great switch-over. Now we seek the shade.