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Your Summer: Taylor Randal
Our new Journal series,Your Summer, captures the essence of summer through short films and conversations with creators from our community.
We each have our own version of summer —rituals, rhythms, places, pleasures.
What’s the first sign of summer where you are? That one thing that signals the changing of the seasons and the sweet beginning of longer, warmer days?
The first sign of summer is the way the air starts to smell-sun warmed grass, dusty roads, wild roses blooming along the ditches.
A friend's bare feet on the dash of my truck, wet dogs scrambling in the back seat, a bag of cherries from a roadside stand. That's when I know summer's really here. Windows down, even though we have AC.
Summer food can be picked fresh from the trees, its sun-ripeness can be smelled before it is tasted, its abundance can make al fresco dinners go on for hours, and its colours make street markets come alive.
What are the flavours of your summer? The tastes that transport you?
Rainier cherries. Yellow and red, sweet, the stems still on. I'm a strawberry girl through and through, but by July, their season's over. Peaches, soft and sun-warmed, eaten over the sink.
Tangy goat cheese on crackers passed between friends. Cold iced tea in enamel mugs. Summer tastes like snacks eaten with dusty hands and food that's shared, not plated.
"Summer tastes like snacks eaten with dusty hands and food that's shared, not plated."
Tell us about your perfect summer day – where are you going, what are you doing, and who are you with? What does it feel like?
Picking up a friend in my truck, windows down, swimsuits on under our clothes. We stop at yard sales and fruit stands. We hike to a river spot that takes a little guesswork and a lot of trust in our instincts.
No service. Just rushing water and the sound of laughter. We swim, snack, nap on a vintage quilt, and let the dogs shake water all over us.
"I chase light instead of time, let the dogs lead the way, and always leave space for a swim"
Tell us about the one scent that defines your summer.
Dry grass warmed by the sun. It smells like childhood-camping trips, bare shoulders, open windows.
Mix that with river water, sunscreen, and a trace of citronella — that's the scent of my season.
What are your summer rituals – the little things you do each day to make the most of long, lazy days?
I let my hair air dry and my plans stay loose. The back of my truck is always packed with a camping chair, vintage towel, a good book, and a swimsuit-ready for an impromptu river day.
I chase light instead of time, let the dogs lead the way, and always leave space for a swim, a nap in the sun, or a roadside stand detour. Summer is about staying ready for whatever unfolds.
What makes your summer uniquely yours?
My summer is built around swimming and wandering. We go off-map on purpose. No cell service, no rush. Just dogs, rivers, thrifted quilts, and friendship. Oregon gives me that kind of summer — messy, grounding, and serene. Being outside with my friends and no reception is the truest way I feel alive and connected. No work, no expectations — just being.
Somewhere between town and the coast, we stop at yard sales, pull blades of dead grass as we walk dirt roads, chase the dogs down random pull-offs, and find swimming holes no one else knows about. We tan naked.
