In North Carolina we can eat outside 3 seasons of the year and often lunch on a warm winter day.

We love open air dining at our house. It is such a welcome change of pace.

Summertime means outdoor picnics, potlucks with friends, family meals on the patio, and late night candle-lit card games.

Breakfast alfresco is my favorite. It is still cool and the world is still calm!

The only deterrent are the pesky bugs… that like to do the same. Citronella candles are a great solution. I would also encourage you to check out the company, Amazon Lights. They have garden insect cones and sticks that have herbal repellents and are super aromatic. We use them all summer, very effectively.

We have also been known to hook up a fan to an outdoor outlet for some added breeze and to blow away our insect visitors.

The outdoor stage entertains us with new sounds. A swooping hawk or the soft buzz of a hummingbird allows for delightful distractions.

Spills and messes are inconsequential. If you spill it…well, we can get to it later. Or, perhaps the nighttime critters will have a feast as well.

Kids, grandkids, and adults alike can run around and make noise without the more rigid indoor rules. Outside voices….yes!

Have you ever noticed how the dining experience lingers longer when outdoors? It is a grand departure from our hurried lives.

Lingering until the fireflies appear, like magic in the air….

I certainly don’t mean to exclude city friends from this discussion!

How about a picnic on your building’s rooftop? Some of them are lovely and many underused.

Then again, city life affords many a restaurant with open air dining.

So for now, I am wishing you delightful meals in fresh summer air!

And……ripe summer berries and sumptuous fruit pies, all enjoyed alfresco!

P.S. My sister makes a fancy raspberry pie. It really is a work of art! Wish I could give you a slice…..

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