Sunny days are not just about bright light and warmth. Sunny days are so much more especially in areas where dull, cold and rain prevail.

I think the main  reason is that one can feel warm without having artificial help from fires and central heating and that warmth finds all areas. From that source of energy comes an easing on joints and aches and pains seem far less intense. The body also creates much needed vitamin D and E and it is the increase of these that makes us feel happier and less stressed.

It is a proven fact that a lack of decent sunlight can lead to depression, skin problems, bone growth and general illness. I guess, just like plants, we need the power of the sun to develop; after all we are living organisms too.

However, it is not all good.

Here in the UK we experience so few “hot” days and also infrequent “severe cold” days that there is a lack of investment in air conditioning outside the workplace and shopping sectors due to the costs. Likewise our Councils do not invest in snowploughs or heated pavements.

Skin cancers and other problems like allergies and sunburn are also major drawbacks from having sunny days and plant stimulation. Oh, and we must not forget that with the lack of air conditioning in our homes sleep becomes harder and harder and this can lead to short tempers and mistakes due to tiredness.

On the whole though I much prefer the summer warmth to the drab extended winter dross.

Simple things make the days so much more bearable. To hear the birds chattering away and the leaves of the trees brushing together to form a song from nature itself is enchanting and very relaxing. Drink tea and enjoying a picnic ease the pace of life when taken outside.

I know for many this will not be the case but to have a bank holiday weekend away from work and to have three days of glorious weather is almost unheard of. So it is a very, very welcome surprise and addition to one’s time off.

Now don’t get me wrong when I say what I am going to say as I love the sand, sea and sun but I cannot, for the life of me, understand why anyone would want to suffer the beach or park to be cramped in, jostled by raucous screams from wild kids and be assaulted by the modern version of the cheap, tinny transistor radio. But before that happens the there is the drive. The dreaded drive or extended motorway car park crawl to get to the desired location and when you get there prices are hiked up to take advantage of the masses. Not my bag thank you. Much prefer the out of season or out of school holiday times to take my recreation at these places.

One is better off staying at home and enjoying the peace and solitude with selected friends and family and as most of the hoards have migrated to the coasts and major parks, or are parked on the motorways, then the local areas are far more navigatable and accessible. Boom job done.

Sunny days also bring out the desire to get fit. Riding a bike, going for a swim, jogging or outdoor yoga become attractive options and it is all to do with the chemicals that the body makes in reaction to sunlight and the quantities produced and we must not forget that a tan gives us the illusion of wellbeing and health but whether this is true or not is not up to me to say. Science will tell us to cover up, stay indoors and avoid direct contact with intense sun but being bronzed makes the average person feel better and look less fat. Once again vanity plays her hand.

On the whole summer, don’t blink or you just might miss it, is good and the benefits in my mind far outweigh the drawbacks so long may it last. Wouldn’t it be grand if there was a thermostat to set in nature? No, no, no. It is bad enough in the home as two people always desire a different setting. Just imagine the arguments if we could all set the weather and air temperature. It is much better to let nature mix things up and randomise what we get. And she sure can do that. Just the other day we had frost, wind, driving rain, warm sunshine, cold rain mixed with hail and a miserable dank evening. We only needed fog and snow to complete the spectrum and that was in the space of half a day. What kind of mad mood was “Mother Nature” in that day?  Scroll forward two days and we experience mediterranean style weather. Mad, totally mad but very welcome.

The last thought I have before I sign off is that we can finally open our doors and windows and leave them open to allow the outside in and replace the stale with fresh and the bonus is that it is warmer out so our homes are heated for free.

Sunny Days are here again and it has certainly got its hat on.