Summer Is An Adventure (1957)

[Music] Summer is a special time of year. It's a time of fun. It's a season of beautiful flowers. It's the time when trees are green and heavy with leaves. Yes, summer is an adventure. And when the postman delivers a letter, it begins a very special summer adventure for the Johnson family. You see, the letter is from Aunt Clara and Uncle Charlie. And it is an invitation for the whole family to spend the weekend with Uncle Charlie and Aunt Clara at a nearby lake. As soon as they hear the news, Fred and Judy want to go. And father and mother agree they will go. Doesn't that sound like [Music] fun? So, the next Friday afternoon, the Johnson start for the lake. Fred and Judy have helped mother get everything ready so they can leave now that father is home from work. Even a short trip in summer can be so much fun. There are many things to see as you travel. Things that tell about the story of summer. As they go through town, they pass the school Judy and Fred attend. Like many schools, it is closed in summer for vacation. Then they pass the park. Think how many summer games we enjoy. How many kinds of fun we can have in our parks and yards and playgrounds in summer when the weather is [Music] warm. As the Johnson's get out of town, there is even more for Fred to watch. and Judy, too. So much that shows us about summer. Along the roadside are flowers. Farther along are treecovered hills and a little further are farms, fields of corn, farmers [Music] harvesting, orchards with big trees planted in rows. Some orchards with nuts almost ripe. Some heavy with apples, peaches, and other fruit. Yes. Almost all the way there are farms. And before they know it, they are at the lake. And there is an Clara and Uncle Charlie to meet them and make them welcome. Oh, what fun this summer adventure will be. Soon they start down to the lake to go for a speedboat ride. Neither Fred nor Judy has ridden in a speedboat before. And because they can't swim, each one wears a life jacket that will make them float if they should fall out. Of course, they will be very careful. There's a poem about riding in a speedboat. Listen. Have you ever gone for a speedboat ride across a lake so smooth and wide? Have you enjoyed the skimming glide as you skate along on a speedboat ride? You see the water, you feel the spray. You watch the sailboats gracefully listing. You pass the water skiers at play and the beautiful banks turning and twisting. And then it is over. The speedboat ride. What fun it was that speedboat ride. The summer's night is warm and the air is refreshing. Not far from the cottage, the fireflies dance through the air. Fred and Judy are trying to catch one of them to see if it will light up in a jar. There. How many things there are to do in summer? Their parents and Aunt Clara and Uncle Charlie enjoy the firefly. And now that they know that fireflies will light up, they let him go again. The next morning, their summer adventure continues. They go bathing in the lake. Neither Fred nor Judy knows how to swim, but they can have fun playing in the shallow water along the beach. Mother and Aunt Clara play with them and watch to be sure they are safe. After swimming, Fred and Judy play in the sand as the summer air dries them and their bathing suits. Then in the afternoon, everyone goes for a picnic in the woods. It will be cooler where the trees are, and there are many things to do and to see. Look, a young raccoon. He isn't a bit afraid. And some wild berries father says are good to eat. and flowers and a lovely moth. Dragonflies, grasshoppers, caterpillars. Yes, the woods are full of interesting things. A bird's nest. It's empty now for the young birds have grown and flown away. A flicker still stays near his hole in the tree. There is a blue jay, too. And look at that woodpecker. Even the weeds are interesting because of the beautiful designs of this weed. It's called Queen Anne's Lace. When it is time to eat, they spread the food out under a tree. Nearby, the brook bumps over some rocks. A big frog squats on a leaf in the sun. There is nothing quite like a picnic in the woods on a beautiful summer day. At least that's what Fred and Judy think. The big picnic basket is loaded with food. Just when Fred thinks it's empty, Aunt Clara brings out a big bowl of fresh fruit. Fruit from orchards like the ones they saw on the way to the lake. Now, what does Fred see? Something he wants Judy to look at, too. The clouds. Those look like big piles of cotton in the sky. Those look like funny pillows to Judy. Maybe for birds. Big birds. And look at that big one. It's like a mattress. Then quite suddenly, the big cloud starts to rain. A gentle summer shower. So light you can hardly notice it. In fact, under the tree near the picnic basket, it isn't wet at all. And then a beautiful rainbow appears. [Music] The rain stops. Just a few drops drip from the plants. The picnic is over and it is time to return to the cottage. In the early evening, the Johnson's start back to the city. Fred and Judy wave goodbye. And that is the story of their summer adventure. Wouldn't you like to tell about one of your adventures in summer?