It took months, but your arduous patience was worth it. During multiple 30-degree drops in temperature, we never thought that summer would (hopefully) be here to stay. Here are a few fun things to do in the nice weather with friends before you finish your spring semester or UD career.

Instructions: Lay the tarp on a rock-free and non-hilly area. Once you've found the right spot, place 6 or 8 sandbags in the corners and along the sides so that the tarp keeps its place. Don't use rocks because someone could slide off the path into a rock. Next, get the hose out and start watering down the tarp. Put a generous (but not too generous, so there's still some water and not just foam) amount of shampoo along the sliders' path. Tear-free baby shampoo works best because it's gentle; however, if the smell bothers you, use regular shampoo so it's a smooth ride down. Continue watering the tarp without washing away or foaming all of the soap - sliders find it easier to slide while the soap is still gelatinous and not foamy. With a running start, slide on your stomach or your bum. And enjoy!

Fill the small resealable bag with the milk, sugar and vanilla and seal it. Then fill the larger resealable bag with the ice and rock salt. Place the smaller bag into the larger bag, and seal it. Shake it, toss it or shimmy it - whatever works until the ice cream forms. Put on some toppings of choice and dig in!

This makes about one scoop of ice cream, so adjust your measurements accordingly if you'd like to make a more ample amount. For more tips, go to Kaboose's Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag.

Pour the juice into the paper cups or popsicle mold. Do not put alcohol into the juice - alcohol doesn't freeze. Place the popsicle sticks in the cups. If you want your sticks to stand more upright, cut slits in a piece of paper relative to where the popsicle sticks are so they don't move during the freezing process. Put the popsicles in the freezer and wait for a few hours. If they're frozen but won't come out of the mold or cups, leave them sit out for about three minutes and they should come right out. It's an easy and delicious way to enjoy the warmer weather. For more advanced popsicle making and various fresh-fruit recipes, go to SheKnows Homemade Popsicle Recipes.

Biking is a popular favorite, but many people don't know about the local array of Five Rivers Metroparks bike trails throughout Dayton. And if you think you can't use the paths because you're bike-less, think again! Five Rivers Metroparks has bicycle and roller blade rentals every Friday through Saturday for one, two or three hours at affordable rates. This is an excellent way to get out and take advantage of what Dayton has to offer.

Five Rivers Metroparks also has watercraft rentals, so that you (and a friend) can ride the river on pedal boats and single and tandem hydrobikes. The rental office is located at 111 E. Monument Ave., which is near the intersection of First and Main Sts.

If using a kit, follow the instructions accordingly. If tie-dying without a kit, put on the rubber gloves. Wet and wring out the shirt so the dye gets absorbed into the dampened material. Follow the dye instructions, making sure to use hot water when mixing the dye in the squeeze bottles.

There are a variety of tie-dye techniques and patterns, but the spiral is often favored. To make the spiral pattern, lay the shirt on a flat surface and choose the center point of the spiral. Starting at the chosen point, swirl the shirt in whichever direction you'd like so that there are folds of material in a circular fashion. *If you would like more white on the shirt, make the folds larger. For less white and more color, make the folds smaller.

Wrap the shirt in three rubber bands so that there are six sections; this holds the shirt best. Using the squeeze bottle, dye your dampened shirt. Placed the banded, dyed shirt into a plastic bag and let the dye soak in overnight. The next day, rinse off the excess color in a tub or sink until the water runs clear. Allow the shirt to air dry; you can wear the shirt once it's dry. The following day, wash the shirt with a towel (one you don't mind getting dye on!) Now it's ready to wear! For more patterns, see ehow.com's Tie Dye Shirt Techniques.

Only 10 more home games before we leave for summer break! The Dayton Dragons plays at Fifth Third Field located at 220 N. Patterson Rd. Tickets are either $7 or $15. The Dragons are having a Bike to the Dragons Day event on Sunday, April 18 and Sunday, May 2. There are other great events throughout the summer, so if you're in the Dayton area during that time, attend a game or two.