This is summer:

... Standing on the porch, smelling the rain that has -- for the moment, at least -- cooled of a stiffling day.

... Eating potato chips and drinking a Coke at a backyard pool party.

... Driving along the beach with the windows open, the heavy sea air wafting through the car.

... "Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back)" by Dave Matthews Band.

... A ballgame on the radio while you wash cars in the driveway or sit by the pool or settle onto your towel at the beach.

... Sipping a beer -- a summer brew or a Mexican import with a lime stuffed into the bottle -- in the shade on a breezy evening.

... A long Fourth of July weekend with a barbecue and fireworks displays the only reasons to look at a clock.

... Tossing bocce balls barefoot on the lawn while Jack Johnson plays on the stereo.

... Planning a road trip and dreaming about it, even if you don't fit it in before Labor Day.

... Watching all those open weekends fill up fast with plans.