“June is the time for being in the world in new ways, for throwing off the cold and dark spots of life.” 

— Joan D. Chittister

We quietly celebrate 48 years of marriage. He starts refinishing the dining room table while I harvest the first lettuce from the garden. I practice saying no, and spend time looking for trolls with Percy. We all sign up for the summer reading program and hug a tree. The weather plays havoc with my mood, and some miner heath issues pop up. I miss old friends. The flowers in the garden, and cuddles with the dog, save me more than once.

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“But don't forget, in the meantime, that this is the season for strawberries. Yes.”

― Clarice Lispector, The Hour of the Star

Rosie the Riveter rose

We wake to a bit of rain, which is nice after the last few days of high temps and the air conditioning running. I run out, in the drizzle, to take these photos, just in case the rain really shows up. The colors of the blooms call to me and I debate cutting them, but decide to leave them right where they are, unless the rain really shows up. Soon the rain eases up and the sun comes out and they are by far the prettiest thing in the garden right now.
We head out to have Thai food for lunch with Brandon and Courtney and come home with leftovers so, I don’t have to cook dinner now!

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““It didn’t take me long to learn that the discipline or practice of writing these essays occasioned a kind of delight radar. Or maybe it was more like the development of a delight muscle. Something that implies that the more you study delight, the more delight there is to study.”

― Ross Gay, The Book of Delights: Essays

I am always delighted when my poppies bloom, and super excited when the rain holds off and doesn’t melt them. The plant is full of buds about to open, so fingers crossed that the rain holds off for a few days. These are Papaver poppies, and the color is gorgeous.

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“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.”

- Loren Eiseley

We head to Canada for the day to check out Harrison Lake. We walk the tiny streets and ponder a trip overnight in the fall. The lake takes my breath away and I yearn for the lakes of Northern Idaho.

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I thought of my dad, and how he taught me to enjoy the birds. He gave me a book, of PNW birds, but I am not a very good student and can’t always identify them. But, they all bring me joy, even when they are fighting over food, or giving me the “side eye”. On a side note, I found a box of salmon filets (eight to be exact) in the bottom of the freezer today. What a gift that is!

a few shots from our trip to the border of Canada

Lately I have been aching for quiet. I do my best to slow down, take a few deep breaths and maybe even sit for a bit with a book in my lap. I fret over so many decisions, and yearn for simplicity. I start by cleaning out my passwords, deleting the ones I don’t need or even know why they are there. It is a silly start, but somehow makes me feel better, less cluttered.