By Paul Janensch
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wqcs/local-wqcs-974103.mp3
Treasure Coast – Summer begins Tuesday at 1:16 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. What's good about summer on the Treasure Coast? Turtles come ashore to nest. Manatees thrive in the warm water of the Indian River Lagoon. Fish are jumpin' - especially before 8:30 a.m. What's not so good? It gets muggy and buggy. So muggy in August that those who can afford it, flee to cooler places. So buggy that even if you spray yourself with insect-repellant, no-see-ums and also see-ums still find places on which to land and suck your blood. Sunburn. Freckle-skinned people like me must use sun block and wear broad-brimmed hats. Rain. Well, we need it after a dry spring. Hurricanes. Forecasters predict 3 to 6 strong ones off the Atlantic Coast this season. Let's hope none comes ashore. Summer may be the busiest season in other parts of Florida, but it's the off-season here. The snowbirds have flown north. Tourism is down. That's bad news for businesses that cater to them. But restaurants are not crowded, and you can usually find a convenient place to park. I often have the condo pool to myself. On balance - even with the heat and the insects and the hurricane warnings - I like summer on the Treasure Coast. The livin' is easy. For 88.9 FM, this is Paul Janensch.