Editorial: Just what you'd expect

It's summer and it will be until Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012.

Summer means many things, some fun, others not so. That's what Harford County has had so far in the first three weeks of Summer 2012.

There has been tragedy: A fatal accident involving a motorcyclist zooming down the road. The death of a 65-year-old man, who had pre-existing medical conditions, was recently confirmed as being caused by excessive heat.

There has been hardship: The heat that contributed to the man's death has stressed other Harford County residents, including some of the animal population. Among other stresses are a number of Harford County residents living in the heat for days and some for more than a week without power in that excessive heat.

There are concerns: As often happens in the heat of summer, there's a need for rain. A dangerous storm that ripped through Harford County two weeks ago on June 29 brought about an inch or so of rain. There hasn't been much more before or since.

But through it all, the summer has pretty much been, well, summer. It's been hot, but most of us survived. Many have gone to the water – at Kilgore Falls, at Rocks and Susquehanna state parks or to the nearby rivers and bays or their favorite swim club. The cows have gone to the water holes. It's been dry, but nothing extraordinary. Lawns have turned brown and filled with white prairie clover pods overnight - again, nothing unusual.

The Aberdeen IronBirds are playing, and mostly losing - again, a summer norm. There are football camps and lacrosse camps and soccer camps and basketball camps. There are lacrosse and softball leagues, another summer staple.

The stretched out Fourth of July celebrations have ended. The Mason-Dixon Fair is about to end. The Harford County Farm Fair will be starting soon, followed by the BBQ Bash and the Cal Ripen World Series And, there are ever-present thoughts of escaping to the ocean or to the mountains or some other vacation land.

There will be another seven weeks (to the unofficial end measured by Labor Day Weekend) or 10 weeks (to the official Sept. 22 end) of summer.

Enjoy every day; use them wisely and safely.