Hot days and nights, grills sizzling with burgers and hotdogs and long hikes on deep-wood trails. I absolutely love the summer and everything the season offers.

Every summer feels like a reset button for me. It’s like I can sweat off my concerns for a day in this heat, or at least in my occasional time I get away from the Suffolk News-Herald.

Suffolk keeps my office busy this time of year. Maybe not as busy as when Peanut Fest takes over in the fall, but there’s plenty between June and July to cover. Next week, I’ll be doing just that when I head over to Eclipse with my camera and a pair of running shoes.

The Fourth of July bike parade in Eclipse is one of my favorite photo opportunities year-round, with all of its red, white and blue fanfare. I enjoy walking — let’s be honest, it’s mostly running — alongside the parade as it strolls through the Eclipse community. Everyone seems to be in good spirits from the moment they start pedaling.

Those good spirits carry over into the makeshift raft race that will return next Thursday afternoon. Teams will have put together their handmade, very loosely-held-together rafts for a race on Chuckatuck Creek.

I was there last year at Johnson and Sons Seafood with all the other spectators. The rafts were crazy ideas made waterlogged, and not all of them made it to their destination, but they were still a lot of fun to photograph.

All of this is just the start, of course. Summer in Suffolk always manages to have a few surprises in store for residents. That’s what I’ve seen in the past few years working at the News-Herald, at least.

Personally, I’m excited to spend my time off to see family and friends, and to get on some hiking trails with Clif bars, water and plenty of bug spray. But I’m also very, very curious to see what Suffolk brings to the table in the coming months.

I hope everyone enjoys their summer. Take plenty of pictures.