And the Living Is Easy: Unwind with the Summer Preview 

click to enlarge

• Rob Donnelly | Rev. Dian Sullivan

Memorial Day weekend is around the corner, which means the unofficial start of summer is mere days away. Vermonters know better than most that we should savor our shortest season, because summer in the Green Mountain State is as blissful as it is fleeting.

It's tempting to pack as much into these next three-ish months as possible. And there's no shortage of fun things to do as the mercury rises. Music fans will flock to fields and fairgrounds for what seems like an endless parade of summer concerts, festivals and series. Drama buffs will applaud a robust community theater season. And thrill seekers will trek to mountain biking meccas like the new Madbush Falls mini-resort.

But doing summer right means striking a balance between doing a lot and doing nothing at all. If you like the idea of boating but not the effort involved, you could charter a carefree two-hour jaunt with Lake Champlain Cruises and let captain Tom Peterson handle the work. Elsewhere on water, you might run into Kellie Merrell and Leslie Matthews, who have been monitoring the health of Vermont lakes together for 12 years.

Or you could take a relaxing stroll through one of Burlington's many well-kept green spaces — just be sure to thank an urban park ranger if you see one. Gardening can also be a relaxing endeavor, especially with good flower, herb and veggie starts from the students at the Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center.

Whenever you're outside, though, beware of ticks, which are increasingly a tiny, bitey scourge in Vermont. Fortunately, area scientists are looking for solutions to tick-borne diseases.

What's more emblematic of summer than a burger? Few joints in Vermont are doing that American classic quite like the retro-cool Broken Hearts Burger in Fairlee. Queen Bee's snack shack in Monkton is similarly worth the road trip, though you'll need to navigate winding dirt roads.

On your journey, you may well encounter another ubiquitous symbol of the season: road construction. We know the delays can be aggravating, but slow down and be kind to the work zone flaggers. After all, it's summer. What's your rush?