Making the most of the lazy days of summer

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The countdown is over.

Tomorrow is the first day of summer, that time when many a longing thought turns to leaping headlong into the nearest Slurpee machine, and life upon a polar ice cap begins to sound downright pleasant.

At least we can still enjoy the outdoors during the evening, for a while anyway. Just remember to think frosty thoughts -- bobsledding, igloo life and East Coast blizzards are good starting points.

For my money, no outdoor space is complete minus a hammock, and while a seaside patio in Panama is obviously the best place to enjoy one, you can easily set up your own here in the valley. Then, with the assistance of a cold mojito or a glass of iced tea, kick up your feet and imagine your own personal paradise.

Target (www.target.com, multiple locations) carries a Hammaka hammock in green/blue or green/brown ($39.99), made of 100 percent parachute silk. Hammaka apparently agrees with me about the need for a hammock in any outdoor situation, because its product folds into an 8-by-9-inch pouch for easy transportation.

Target also carries a Hammaka hanging hammock chair ($74.99) in green or blue nylon. It includes armrests, an adjustable footrest, a drink holder and an inflatable pillow.

And because that refreshing beverage is going to have to come from somewhere, Target carries the Adagio wood serving cart ($199.99), which has two front wheels for easy transport from indoors to patio, as well as a cooler compartment with drain and flip-top lid and space for glasses, bottles and food.

Pottery Barn (www.potterybarn.com, The District at Green Valley Ranch, 2265 Village Walk Drive, or Rampart Commons, 1085 S. Rampart Blvd.) carries a Chesapeake hammock and stand set (hammock, $89-$99; hammock and stand, $289-$299).

For the hammock enthusiast who also happens to be an avid outdoors person, REI (www.rei.com, The District at Green Valley Ranch) carries a wide selection of hammocks for every occasion. Looking for a hammock you could call home for the weekend? REI has just the thing in the Hennessy hammock Explorer Ultralight A-Sym hammock ($199), a 10-foot-long creation with a patented never-tip center balance, a polyester mesh canopy to keep out bugs and a removable nylon rain fly. Oh, and the Explorer can be folded into an open-air chair or lounger, or converted into a tent should you decide you miss feeling the ground beneath you. All this, and the Explorer packs up into an easily portable 5-by-12-inch, 2-pound, 5-ounce package.

REI also carries two other Hennessy hammocks -- the Ultralight Backpacker A-Sym, $169 and the Expedition A-Sym, $119. Other models include the Camper's compact hammock ($13), the camper's deluxe hammock ($15) and the marina double hammock ($25). And there's the Byer Amazonas Banana, Barbados and Santiago hammocks ($49.95, $53.95 and $72, respectively).

Home Depot (www.homedepot.com, multiple locations) carries a wide selection, including rope, woven and quilted varieties and stands from the original Pawleys Island rope hammock ($133) to the taupe woven hammock ($242).

For those looking for a huge selection, there's always www.hammocks.com and www.hammockjungle.com.

So enjoy some summer hammock lounging, even if you do have to find a walk-in freezer in which to set one up. And look on the bright side -- the great desert outdoors is usually cool again by Halloween. That's only about four months away!

Maria Phelan is a reporter for the North Las Vegas and Sunrise Views. Retail information appropriate for mention can be sent to mphelan@viewnews.com.