These last days of August, it is such a gift to sit outside, under the trees, in a folding summer chair!

There are all kinds of summer chairs–the Adirondack chair with canvas cushions of sailboats, that makes one think of a lake house; a lounging chair of woven fabric or plastic strips that would be perfect for a deck; rattan chairs that call out for a swimming pool and cocktails.

The simple wooden folding chair is usually sold in sets of two. Multiples can be used for outdoor gatherings–weddings or garden parties. Yes, they could be spaced for social distance, in these pandemic times.

It used to be that you could find such chairs in thrift stores, even in alleys! They can still be found in hardware stores, or places like Target, Wal-Mart, and Ikea too.

I ordered mine online in March–to celebrate the rollout of the vaccine, and the promise of summer. They look similar to the chairs pictured above.

Now, I have two matching wooden folding chairs, like Thoreau. One for me, and one for a friend.

The weekend before Memorial Day weekend, my friend came out on the Blue Line and we walked around the neighborhood, admiring the blooming peonies and the giant blue-green hostas. Then, we sat outside, in the summer chairs, surrounded by lily-of-the-valley.

Summer was just starting, then. We were both fully vaccinated.

Now, the day lilies are done, and the lily-of-the-valley leaves are going down. The grass is crisp from lack of rain. But the trees are still leafy and green. The full moon last night, tangled in the summer leaves.

And the alleys have more discarded things. I saw a woven rattan settee the other day. This morning, it was gone. Where did it go? Did it pack up and leave like the robins gathering on the sidewalks?

I hope someone found it and will give it a good home.

Summer isn’t over, yet. There are more days in the 90’s in the forecast. Here’s more summery things– a post on summer shoes!