You could feel the change Monday evening. The air cleared, there was a hint of cool even though it was still 75F.
But, it cooled quickly and after out last walk, I closed windows all but a crack to allow the night air to move through the house.
This morning.
40 something.
Beautiful.
Our first time of sitting outside in a very long time.
So.
Saturday.
Saturday started with Farmer’s market.
Sunflowers, a mix of cherry tomatoes of various hues, a HUGE zucchini (courgette) and 2 heirloom slicers!
On returning home, Bear hit the side yard.
I missed the photo, but he had a nice roll on the stiff, brown (un-watered) grass.
And then the start of a nap.
But, the yellow jackets.
And the heat.
He came inside.
Meanwhile…
I chopped herbies…
For a chicken dish I’ve had my eye on.
BUT.
After I had the chicken marinating in the herbs and olive oil and lemon juice and garlic…
I went to the bedroom for something…
Bear was sound asleep.
I was dragging.
I put the marinating chicken in the refrigerator and then crawled into bed.
Bear stayed.
This was 1:00 ish p.m.
I came to at 4:55 p.m.
Bear was in the same spot.
Yep…we HIT the wall. I guess we needed it. Funny that it was both of us.
After the prolonged nap, we got up.
Had a good long walk.
I fixed a burger dinner for Bear.
I fixed a pancake dinner for me.
Another long walk.
We went to bed.
8:30 p.m.
Sunday.
A Fried Egg sandwich extraordinare for breakfast.
I finally cooked the marinating chicken… oh-la-la to the MAX! The recipe: My Little Expat’s Kitchen: Chicken with tomatoes and olives
Moving on:
Bear and I hopped in the Jeep and had a drive south to Swan Lake.
The leaves are turning and it looks Fallish…
But it was HOT!
Still.
We hit the wall, we bounced back, we are moving on.
Well, it does figure, doesn’t it ??? This 2013 “summer from hell” would naturally have a Friday the 13th :) !!
7 more days of this official summer.
It is not going down as one of my favorites.
NOT. AT. ALL.
Yes, well.
We must do our best to move forward.
The Bear-boy still stays close to me.
I stay close to him.
It is a mutual coping mechanism.
But, it WAS a beautiful morning…cool.
We had time to be outside, took a long walk about and even just enjoyed some time in front of the front porch before the yellow jackets woke up. They are giving us a little more morning lately and both Bear and I appreciate that.
7 more days of official Summer. NOAA has PROMISED a cool down again…but today they are also wavering about another warm up after the cool down.
GAH!!
Friday the 13th.
The moon has been bright through the trees when Bear and I take our before bedtime walk down the driveway and back.
The sky has been cloudless and clear the last several nights.
And… “billions and billions of stars”!
Moon Phase Pro (Android App) says the waxing crescent is 47% full.
I say it is beautiful.
Every week NOAA says that “next week” will be cooler and then as next week approaches…NOT!
It is not as hot as it had been, but it is still 10-15 degrees above normal for the 2nd week of September in Northwest Montana!
Some time ago, I stopped watering the grass… I noticed that the yellow jackets gravitated toward water sources so I decided to dry things up and see if that helped.
I brought in the herbie watering can, the boys’ water bowl (the boys were not out anyway), and shut down the sprinklers.
The good news is I haven’t had to mow!! I think I mowed 4 times before shutting things down. Oh, well.
The bad news is that it didn’t help the yellow jacket situation AND I lost my cilantro on Beardog Hill – not a show stopper for this summer.
Today, the high was 76F at my house…and an abundance of sun and blue sky.
Not horrible but it should be 66F!
But, Bear and I got outside a bit more than we have been.
Still…we got hot… and the yellow jackets – Bear likes them about as much as I do.
Inside sounded like a good idea.
NOAA…and Fall…Promises, promises!
“Every cloud has a silver lining.”
Really??? I’ve been in airplanes and flown through light clouds and storm clouds and I never saw a silver lining…just foggy mist.
I know what the expression means, but today, looking at some dark clouds and thinking about life and loss…the expression came to mind and I thought… What? Where did that come from?
I don’t mind dark clouds on occasion. I’m talking clouds, not difficult or painful life happenings. I like the contrast and what happens to the light around and beneath the clouds.
I enjoy a dark cloudy day when I don’t want or need to be outside…when I can cozy up inside.
This morning, in the midst of the dark clouds: a bit of blue sky.
The blue sky is always there.
Sometimes it is obscured by clouds.
But it is there.
I sat in the Jeep with Bear, by the side of the road, looking – taking a photo when I felt like it…and thinking.
Just like a storm gathering, dark thoughts like dark clouds obscure joy.
It is easy for me to embrace the darkness at times. Holding on to grief is a way to hold on to Bob. Not a good way. I know this for myself from past experience but I also know that it can become a habit that is tough to break.
Behind the darkness of sadness and grief is the blue sky of happy memories and joy of time shared – not only with Bob but with every pet and every person I’ve loved who is no longer with me.
I can’t see any silver lining in loss but I can see that above dark clouds is clear blue sky.
And a Big Orange Sun :) !!
Today’s dark clouds brought some welcome rain.
And, it was a day when we could cozy up inside.