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I SUMMER Kona Beiki - Editor ied e p tho fw in te rIMy a InD learned Dial there was in me an invincible summer. 11 HheitCams ...it's the time of year that many of us 'wet coasters' long for. Regardless of the weather, it's a time of the year when life seems a little more free and easy. A time to explore or lay back, or both. This summer there's a cornucopia of offerings on the North Shore to satisfy your cravings - check out the calendar on pages 12 & 13 to help map out your way to live outdoor happenings. Can anything be as soul regenerating as sitting on the grass and listening to music performed against the ocean and mountain landscape? Or how about the enchanting magic of lanterns at dusk? Or discovering a new artist and their creation? It's true, I am a festival junkie. But I confess, summer will always in all ways be a time when I am inclined to recline and travel into the pages of a really good story. This summer, my hefty book bag contains local author Patricia Mason's debut novel CASSANDRA: A Story for Our Times. Those interested in Greek mythology will recognize Cassandra as the Trojan prophetess who foretold the destruction that would befall Troy when they opened the gates to the huge wooden horse offered as a token of peace by the Greeks. But no one heeded her call. Is Cassandra calling again? Is it time for us to listen? Mason thinks so. Today the term "Cassandra Syndrome" applies to warnings that are initially dismissed but later turn out to be correct. Nowhere is this more evident than in predictions about global warming and other environmental crises. Mason's eloquent writing style and brilliant use of her research in the fields of quantum physics, history, spirituality and environmental issues reveal fascinating connections between current Earth changes, ancient and modern predictions, and new discoveries about consciousness and the nature of the universe. It took Mason seven years to complete CASSANDRA. "I hope to re-kindle, in the reader, a sense of wonder and love for the planet." However you choose to do it, do take the time this summer to rekindle the wonder right here beneath the mountains on the ocean's edge. :