Summer has finally come to Rhode Island! After what probably feels like the longest June in recent history to students, the final bell rang yesterday and summer vacation officially began.

Because of school cancellations during Hurricane Sandy and Blizzard Nemo, the school year was extended by four days. Yes, only four days.

But it worked out because summer vacation began just in time to enjoy the perfect 90-degree beach weather expected today.

But spending time at the beach is not the only activity students can now look forward to. Summer camps, such as Kent County’s Camp Ok-Wa-Nessett, can finally welcome their campers.

The Warwick Public Library can also begin its slew of summer programs. Two summer reading programs, one for young children and one for teens, started this past weekend, encouraging students to keep reading outside of the classroom. The Library will also host its first Family Night tonight, featuring storyteller Carolyn Martino.

Of course, kids are not the only ones who look forward to the lazy, hazy days of summer. Adults get in on the fun, too.

While work seems to get in the way of spending hours on the sand, the warm weather can be enjoyed in other ways.

Nightly dinners can once again be enjoyed in screen porches or on decks.

Calendars are suddenly packed with weekend cookouts at a different friend or relative’s house until August.

It gets a little quieter around the office on sunny afternoons as co-workers sneak out to enjoy some family time at a park.

It can also seem like every person you know suddenly has a beach house in Maine to go to or a sudden desire to go camping for the weekend.

No matter how you or your loved ones choose to spend the summer, it can be agreed that everyone is in a better mood than we were in January.

Maybe it is because we can enjoy a calendar of community events like weekly concerts and Fourth of July fireworks. Or maybe we are in a better mood because we can finally spend an entire afternoon outdoors without a parka and a shovel.

Either way, Rhode Islanders know beautiful summer days are rare, so get out and enjoy them while they last.