This is the best time of year in beautiful Portland. The sun sets after 9 p.m., and dusky twilight hangs around well past 10. The days are either toasty hot and dry (when it's sunny) or comfortable room temperature (when it's overcast). It rains some, but never more than a short, light shower. The nights are cool and eminently sleepable. If you leave the window open, you'll need some light covers.

Everything's in bloom, it seems, which drives allergy sufferers crazy but is a real treat for the eyes. The local produce comes on, and it's wonderful. The local strawberries are here now, but their stay is short. We eat as many as we can hold. The white ones we've been eating all winter taste like turnips by comparison.

But it's the light, the blessed light, that makes this time so special. Fire up the barbecue at 8? No problem, you've got a couple of hours to work with. Longstanding chore waiting for you outside? You've got 17 hours every day to get it done. Evening exercise? No need for the reflective gear or the sweatshirt.

Solstice is Saturday. Then we start back in the dark direction. But despite the trending away from the sun, there are many lazy, hazy, crazy days ahead. The drone of the baseball announcers is just now catching our attention. It will be quite a while before they're done, and by then the yellowjackets will be around to replace them. After Fourth of July, we'll have bankable good weather well into October, at which time we'll turn back the clocks and roll up the tents.

This year I'm determined to enjoy every minute of summer.