It feels like summer is in full bloom now that the wineberries are ripe and the mosquitos are ravenous as ever. I haphazardly smacked about fifty while picking berries this afternoon after I accidentally backed into a patch of poison ivy. Some people have this admirable knack for seeing poison ivy, I do not. Anyhow, it feels like summer in this weird, stagnant kind of way, where nothing is obviously wrong, everything is on cue, but there’s this weight of dread that something bad is lurking. Some days it’s easier to ignore than others and some days it just encases you like wet clothing. The things keeping me from sinking deep into the sadness of the world are easily seen in my pictures, from the key lime pie my daughter made, to the abundant source of berries in our yard that my son turned into a galette, to retreating to our stream when you want to forget about everything else. There’s a lot to be grateful for even when life goes off course and feels unjust for so many.

3 things

thinking back to when summer was a time of being carefree, the days felt long and a popsicle was the cure for pretty much anything. The radio called the shots when it came to what music was being played, riding bikes was the best form of transportation, and if you were lucky you’d get enough friends together for an afternoon game of kickball.

these plants must think humans have lost their minds, maybe they have, but how wonderful is this?!

this tea. it has taken me so long to find the perfect black tea to replace my morning coffee, which I reluctantly gave up years ago. I am on my second bag of this tea and love it, it’s rich, robust, and almost as good as coffee.