A common joke I have with my out-of-state relatives and friends, particularly those who reside in warmer climates, is “if living in Maine were easy, everybody would do it.” And it’s true, four-season living isn’t easy.

We shovel, we plow, we sand, we salt, we weed, we seed, we mow, we whack, we rake, we mulch, we burn and then we shovel again.

We experience weeks of 90- degree weather in the summer, and weeks of minus 10 degrees in the winter. Some winters are so brutal that just getting out your front door is an accomplishment, and some summers are so muggy that plopping into your favorite watering hole every hour or so is the only way to stay cool.

It’s those summer days that are my focus right now.

Annually, when I flip the calendar to August, I become very aware that summer is ending. Personally, autumn is my favorite season, but it’s far more limiting than summer. When August hits, I feel an urgency to accomplish all of the things I want to before the sand runs out on our sunniest season and so that my to-do list doesn’t become a meant to-do list.

Fortunately, August in Maine always seems to oblige with an abundance of activities. Here are a few things on my summer list in August:

• Go for a walk or a hike. Before moving to the region, my wife and I would take our dogs to a walking trail three to four times per week because we lived in an apartment and it was their only chance to exercise. Now we have a backyard to play in so they get their exercise that way, but I really miss the simple act of going for a walk. Shutting off the phone and iPad and just going for a walk with her or a few friends and having a tech-free, in-person chat is refreshing. The weather in August is just right for an after work walk. There are plenty of places to walk and hike in the region, but for a full list of trails, your best bet would be to contact the Parks and Recreation department in your town.

• See more theater. I love summer theater, and for over a decade I have been in plays and seen plays during the summer. Maine’s seasonal theaters only have a few weeks left, but many locations throughout the state have opportunities in August. Maine State Music Theatre begins the run of their final show of the year, “Disney’s Newsies,” this week along with two other limited engagement shows with “The Taffetas” on Aug. 14 and “Alice in Wonderland” on Aug. 21. The Theater Project, also in Brunswick, is doing their own limited run of “Alice in Wonderland” for their camp show with performances Aug. 18-20. Community Little Theater in Auburn is in the middle of their run of “Shrek: the Musical,” which performances each of the next two weekends.

• Attend a big community event. To be honest, I will probably do this more than once over the next month because there are so many events happening in the area. It’s probably no surprise to anyone, but in case you just woke up from a long sleep, the Topsham Fair is happening now and runs through Aug. 13. Agricultural fairs are a staple of summer in Maine and a family tradition for me, and I make it a point to hit two or three per year. The weekend after the fair closes, at the same location, is the Maine Highland Games coming Aug. 19. Last year was my first trip to the Highland Games and it is unlike any festival I’ve seen before with truly unique vendors, competitions and athletes celebrating Scottish heritage. In fact, you will find more attendees in kilts than not. That same day though, before or after the games, block off a couple of hours to experience the BDA’s 11th annual Brunswick Outdoor Arts Festival in downtown Brunswick on Maine Street. Nearly 100 artists from across New England will have work on display, ranging from the dramatic to the whimsical across several disciplines including painting, sculpture, jewelry design and more. The last major event of the month is, of course, the Great State of Maine Air Show which will bring tens of thousands of visitors for Aug. 26- 27. The air show is up at Brunswick Executive Airport and though there are only two days of shows, the excitement leading up to it, lasts all week.

• Relax for a bit. There are other summer joys that don’t have a classification other than just relaxing. I built a fire pit a few weeks ago in the backyard — I need to take that for a test run with a few other couples around the campfire some night. I have a bocce set that I need to dust off for some backyard competitions, or maybe some cornhole. I’ve got a barbecue grill that just got a fresh tank and is the essential deck accessory for those having friends over. I need to spend at least one day barefoot all day, and another day in swim trunks from sun up to sundown. I need to read a book in the sun, and eat breakfast on the deck, and sneak home for an early day to take the dogs out for a grand adventure of wooded exploration.

It’s a big list of to-do’s, but before long I’ll be raking, and shoveling after that, so I owe it to myself to enjoy August now as much as I can — and so do you.