10

So yesterday was the summer solstice. I celebrated by picnicking with friends on the Sheep Meadow in Central Park until the park guys kicked us off at dusk. My sibs and I have been talking about the things we need to do or see or hear for it to really feel like summer. We're city kids now, but we grew up in the 'burbs, so a lot of our associations -- the top 10 of which appear below -- are from that period of our lives. We know it's summer when we're doing these things.

1. Hearing cicadas, crickets, and mourning doves
2. Swimming in the ocean
3. Watching a thunderstorm roll in
4. Attending an outdoor concert, a baseball game, and/or street, fireman's, or church fairs
   
5. Seeing lightning bugs
6. Eating watermelon, ice cream, lemon ice, fresh corn, tomatoes from New Jersey, or seafood by the water (oh, for a lobster roll)
   
7. Having a barbecue
8. Picking blueberries and strawberries
   
9. Viewing a summer blockbuster (This was my first.)
   
10. Playing flashlight tag (I think this is a daddy res invention.)

List yours in comments.