Summertime is one of my favorite seasons.

We have such an abundance of it here in the vast desert that a person better learn to enjoy it, honestly. But I like it. Always have.

I liked having little kids in the summer, when a plastic kiddie pool tossed in the yard and a stack of magazines next to my lounge chair was enough to keep us busy all day. I liked having big kids and letting them run wild on their bikes with the neighborhood kids until 9 p.m. every night, followed by a dash through the sprinkler before finally going inside.

I liked being a kid in the summertime. I had a horse trough for a pool and a bike of my own, and there were usually push-up pops from the Schwann’s man in the freezer. Life was simple. Today’s world feels increasingly more complicated a lot of the time, but if you look around, the simple pleasures of summer still exist.

There are still teenage girls lined up like so many sparrows, sitting on a concrete fence and gossiping about boys. There are little boys crowding the public pool with their foam footballs and neon-colored goggles. There are mommies pushing babies in fancy strollers with their Stanley cups and crossbody bags in pastel colors.

The smell of a neighborhood BBQ drifts over the yard some days, the scent of burnt hot dogs and juicy burgers beckoning. In the restaurants, the old-timers still meet for coffee in the afternoons, before their afternoon snooze in their recliners at home. In the sky, the puffy white clouds drift by, looking like so much marshmallow cream.

The children laze away the long days, running in and out of the house, slamming the screen door and eating every snack in sight. School is a distant memory, dinners are often ham sandwiches and Doritos, and time stands still for just a little while.

It’s true that the world just keeps on getting more and more complicated. But summertime remains, in many ways, a symbol of innocence for us all. I hope you’re enjoying your summer. I hope you’re taking the time to slow down and remember the echo of simpler times.

We can still enjoy the simple things. You’re doing a great job.

“Summertime, and the livin’s easy” — Sublime (EDITOR’S NOTE: Franki Ingram is a hometown Artesia girl who likes unicorns, classic rock and coffee. She has four kids ranging in age from 22-9 and dabbles in meal planning and budgeting.)