Happy First Day of Summer

Sure, today is the official start of summer in our calendar: the day when the northern hemisphere of the earth is tilted furthest toward the sun. But what really signals the start of summer for you?

For me, growing up in Utah, it was when you could start walking around in the evening without a jacket on and everybody had pretty much packed away the ski parkas for the season. And the water parks had opened — you know, those outsized aquatic centers centered on 100-foot tall plastic water slides and wave pools? And fireworks, of course.

What represents summer to you? What is your cherished summer memory? Today, Mercer Island Patch asks people what’s their favorite thing about summer.