inching toward midsummer

Yes, we're getting the heat wave here as well. Not quite as bad as elsewhere in the country, but still, our AC is on. Temps outside today? 90F (32C) and humid. Definitely summer-like weather, even if summer is... four days away!

I have always thought that summer solstice is sort of magical. That "longest day" designation really speaks to me. I love early dawns and late sunsets. I love the perceived power of all that daylight. Run and hide from the dark, embrace and blossom in all those beautiful daylight hours. 

This year, solstice falls on June 20th. Because most years it falls on the 21st, I tend to associate that date with the longest day and I did think of the 21st when I made my plans for where to be on that first official day of summer. Fortunately, I'll also be at the same spot on the 20th, albeit in one tired state! In any case, I'm leaving for my somewhat northern destination the day after tomorrow and so I absolutely have to tidy up everything here at home. I dont have kids today, but I do have them tomorrow, so this is the moment for hurried tidying. In the hot and humid weather.

A walk to the barn, spot weed picking, a check on the strawberries by the peach orchard. Water needed for the berry tubs. I'm on it!

A glance at the meadow -- looking good!

Then breakfast. Inside. I have empathy! Ed had been working outdoors for a short while and he comes in drenched. We stay in the cool kitchen. And we try the second batch of jams and they are less runny and equally delicious!

Now comes chore time. Dig out some invasives (outside). Finish a photo book project I'd been postponing since March. Spring is not a good time for photo book projects, that's for sure. Spot watering (outside). More weeding (outside). Errand hopping -- salt for the Steffi House water softener, returns to Fed Ex -- are you excited yet? What can I say -- it's not unusual to have scores of chores before travel.

I did have a somewhat interesting and reflective moment when picking up salt bags at the grocery store. Those sacks weigh 40 pounds each and though I think of myself as having reasonably okay upper body strength, especially for a 71 year old, I found lifting each sack into the grocery cart to be not easy. After I heaved the first one in (you have to be careful not to rip the thing, so you lift it high over the cart railing, or you'll find yourself spraying salt pellets all over everything), a young woman -- my daughters' age -- came up to me and asked -- can I help you with that? And then, without waiting for an answer, she deftly lifted the next bag and the next and placed them in the cart. That was a first for me! I was wearing huge sunglasses, so she did not see wrinkles around my eyes. Nor was I dressed in old lady attire. Shorts and a tshirt -- my go to summer wardrobe. So... do I act old? Or was it enough for her that I was clearly older than her? In any case, it struck me that most people dont see opportunities for random acts of kindness and yet there are so many! I would never have asked for help, so long as it was physically possible for me to do the job, but when offered, and with such determination (I'm going to do this, so dont bother saying no thanks), I wasn't going to back away from it. And I was so grateful! Forty pounds, lifted high, is a load! There she was, seeing the challenge and jumping in to save me from my own self.

 

And now I'm home again. With Ed. Beautiful home, which is about to burst into color with lilies -- earlier this year unfortunately. Just when I'm heading out.

Where to? I'll just repeat -- somewhat north. I've been wanting to do this trip for a long, long time. Yeah, somewhat north.

with love...