Karen Wils photo Bob and a beagle take a summertime rest in a hammock.

ESCANABA — A hammock in the shade means comfort and fun.

Norman Rockwell has a famous painting of a sailor home on leave, sleeping in a backyard hammock. A beagle snoozes peacefully on his legs.

A hammock equals a smile.

Years ago, when you thought of a hammock, you thought of a grandfatherly-type dozing in the shade at camp.

A newspaper or a book and a glass of ice tea complete the old fashioned scene.

Today, hammocks are all the rage for kids and young adults. College campuses, parks, campgrounds and backyards are teaming with brightly colored hammocks. It is the new way to “hang out.”

The cool sport of “mocking” started about a decade ago. With people getting so busy and so tied up with computer work, cell phone calls and the hectic pace of everyday life, a rest was certainly needed.

A rest in a cozy hammock overlooking a beautiful river or lake, or hanging above a gorgeous flower garden was a perfect get away. Mocking is the new way to chill out.

Young folks lay back and talk or listen to some shared music while mocking.

People like to go hammocking together. Colorful light weight hammocks are easy to tie to two trees. When my daughter and friends go hammocking they often stack one hammock above another one. They even make hammocks designed for two people now days.

Hammocks originated in Central America. They can be traced back to the Mayan civilization, dating back over 1,000 years ago. Early hammocks provided a safe place to sleep. A bed of woven rope strung high in the trees kept a person away from predators and insects in warmer climates.

After his travels, Christopher Columbus is credited with bring hammocks to Europe.

For many years, hammocks were used on navy ships to reduce sea sickness and avoid falling out of bed during rough seas.

Hammocks have evolved from something practical to something fun.

Sometimes, half the fun is just figuring out how to get in and out of one without going for a spill.

Summertime slips by way to fast in the U.P., so if you get a chance to go mocking, take it. Nothing is better than listening to the sounds of summer from a hammock. Go ahead put your feet up and take a rest. You deserve it.

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Karen (Rose) Wils is a lifelong north Escanaba resident. Her folksy columns appear weekly in Lifestyles.