Are you enjoying your Summer? It is in full swing now. The clothes shops are full of swimming suits, bikinis, and barbecue equipment. Flowers are out, and most families find a swimming pool to enjoy. There were end of year celebrations for schools, held in parks around the area. We went to the end of year barbecue for the alternative school that two of my sons have been going to for about six months. It took place in a well manicured park that is next to our nearest dam, Rocky Reach Dam. There are covered seating areas with sinks, tables, and chairs, for picnickers. There is also a large playing area for younger children, to keep them occupied. Each family was asked to bring a plate or two of food to share, and if possible, watermelon. It was hot when we got there, and there were already lots of young people running around in swimming suits, having water fights. The atmosphere was generally laid back, with most people eventually sitting on the grass in groups, eating, and chatting. When most of the food had been eaten, a whistle was blown, and there was a call for all participants of the watermelon eating competition to sit down and get ready. Several ladies had been busily slicing up the melons for quite a while. They piled all of the slices and pieces into plates, and servers gave each of the children a slice. The rule was, nobody could use hands; they had to be behind your back. Three, two, one, and off they went, *chomping away on the juicy stuff. As soon as a person finished one slice, he would call for another, and keep score of how many he had eaten. It was the only time in the get-together that it was actually quiet! And then, when all the watermelon was gone, there was a quick *tally of those who had eated the most. And the prize? A watermelon! No, I'm only kidding. I don't actually know what the prize was, but it must have been something good, because the winner and both *runners up were very excited about it. As you can imagine, there was a huge, sticky mess to clean up afterwards. Luckily, with concrete floors, you can just hose the place with water. When we finally left, the kids were *worn out. It had been an exciting day, and a hot one too. I could hear people saying goodbye as we pulled out of the parking lot. Some of the kids won't see eachother for a while because they will be travelling. They'll be excited to see each other in September, and have stories of the Summer to share.

Grammar notes.

Related sayings: to chomp, a tally, a runner up, to be worn out.

1. The pig chomped on the vegetables, making a lot of noise.

2. When we finished playing monopoly, we tallied each person's gains to find out who owned the most property.

3. He wasn't first place in the race, but he was a runner-up, so he received a medal.

4. The hikers had been lost for two days, and had walked the whole time. They were completely worn out, by the time they reached safety.