It’s summer in the city (and countryside, too)

Okay folks, we are now into the first week of July.

Summer is acting like a race horse, galloping at furious speed down the track. No one wants it to turn the bend to autumn. That will come soon enough.

This summer, in addition to checking off items from a “to do during the summer of 2013” list, I’m attempting to do fun things, too.

Day trips and excursions with my husband or friends are a nice change of scene and something to look forward to. They don’t even have to be to far away places.

The other day I paid my first visit to MASS MoCA in North Adams. The sprawling art museum, housed in an industrial complex that used to serve Sprague Electric Company, it is filled with a zillion examples of all different kinds of art.

A 12-ton bird representing a male phoenix, the work of Chinese artist Xu Bing and made from, among other things, Chinese construction site materials, has to be one of the most incredible pieces I’ve ever seen in my life.

 

There’s also a 100-foot long, 12-ton female “Huang,” another bird that’s part of the Xu Bing exhibit.

The artist used steel beams, tools and materials representing the lives of migrant laborers to make these incredible creations.

Sure enough, standing beneath one of the gargantuan figures and looking up, I could spot a series of long wrenches, handleless shovels, fans and so forth. It was beyond amazing.

One person’s idea of what constitutes art is bound to differ from another’s, but this exhibit really is unique. One also feels like an ant when standing next to one of the birds.

 

While in North Adams, we also made a stop at Samson and Kid. This is a cool thrift store, of sorts, a short distance from MASS MoCA and on the other side of the street.

It’s only open three days a week,  Friday through Sunday, and there’s usually people lined up outside the door waiting for it to open on Friday. Everyone wants to see what new merchandise has been added during the week.

Now, you are reading the column of a thrift store, yard and estate sale junkie. If there’s a bargain place to be perused within a 100-mile radius of The Berkshires, I’ve probably been there.

 

This place has dealer spaces upstairs, too, and the prices are not too shabby.

The whole place is hit or miss, though. There have been times when I’ve found really gorgeous treasures and other times when it was a big fat disappointment. But not knowing what’s in store is part of the fun.

Have you read about the controversy over a Dollar General coming to Sheffield? Well, never fear. Until that is resolved (if it ever is), you can drive to North Adams and visit the store there. It’s a good one, and I love getting greeting cards, brand name baby clothes and a lot of other things at rock-bottom prices.

Another really nice part of summer is indulging in a variety of salads made from very fresh ingredients. Fruit at this time of year is wonderful, too. A platter of sliced melon, strawberries and white nectarines was part of a recent meal.

Most people would agree that lobster rolls are among summer’s delectable culinary offerings.

 

Here are some other things I love about summer: jumping into a refreshing cool pool and swimming like crazy; sitting out in the backyard and enjoying all the work that’s been put into it; arranging beautiful flowers in a vase on the kitchen table; going to concerts, plays and out to lunches; and, to reiterate, looking forward to weekend yard sales.

Treasure each moment of summer, because before we can say “autumn in New England,” it will be here.