Fireworks and watermelon and pool parties…oh, my! Summer is here and in full sweltering effect if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere! My family and I usually find ourselves near the Lake-Oceans of Michigan or Wisconsin around the 4th of July, basking in the majesty and splendor of what seems to be a well-kept secret outside the Midwest. Visiting has become a a bit of an accidental tradition, in that somehow, year after year and without plan, we end up running down sand dunes, munching fresh farmer’s market cherries, delighting in monarch butterflies, roasting marshmallows over blazing bonfires, stargazing, or watching sunsets and moonrises over the water. I’m a July baby and these visits, full of fireworks and festive displays celebrating our country, have become a sort of unofficial birthday party for me too.