Cool front, Oldies but goodies, Another kind of music

1. No air conditioning needed today!!! Fresh air, energy level high, spirits buoyant.
2. I spent time with some old friends from the record album cabinet this evening. The family is all out, so my porch-sitting was spent with Dixie Dregs, ELP, Peter Frampton, Robert Plant and The Edgar Winter Group.
3. Sleeping with the windows open. The birds sing all night.

Still, A familiar sound, They're ready!

1. A hummingbird perched on a branch, just sitting.
2. I'm hanging out in Tess' room upstairs, dozing on her bed while she reads. Audrey is downstairs banging kitchen cabinets, clanging pans. I remember this sound of childhood; hearing mom in the kitchen and waiting for the call to dinner.
3. Ripe cherry tomatoes in the garden.

Sparkling, Green, Cut off

1. The glass lamps sparkle and shine after I clean them. Now I realize how dusty they were.
2. Pea pods from the garden turn bright green after a minute in the pan.
3. I find out that the house we're renting on the coast of Maine has no internet service. Cool!

Oasis in blue, Old stuff, Pretty dessert

1. The car thermometer registers 100 F. when I drop Tess to the pool party. Looking at the clear, sparkling, blue water and its promise of refreshment almost gives me leave of my senses. A pool salesman could have sold me a pool on the spot just then.
2. In the storage room, we don't find what we're searching for. But, we do find tons of other old stuff and begin putting aside for a yard sale. We also take time for nostalgia when we run across old toys.
3. Chunks of ginger soaked pound cake, blackberries and whipped cream layered in a clear glass.

Glebe Hill Garden, Aah, Friends

1. I roamed the private gardens of Glebe Hill where thousands of Day Lily varieties form a sweeping display. The owners also grow over 400 varieties of Hosta, beautiful shady bowers and inviting water features. I've been inspired by some evergreen plantings that I can't wait to try in our garden.
2. The cool interior of home as we first walk in.
3. We spent a long overdue evening with friends, some of whom we haven't seen in six months to a year. The conversation goes long into the night with much merriment and story telling. We visited outside on B.'s terrace, by candlelight and full moon as a balmy draft cooled the air.

Lyrics, Watching the day fade, A treat, Well done

1. The poetry in music.
2. We sit under the vines while the sun sets and the full moon rises.
3. The temperatures are notably cooler this evening. I'm happy to turn off the AC and open all the windows in anticipation of a good night's sleep.
4. Steve has earned his P.E. license!

In the saddle, Horse gifts, It has fruit in it

1. They don't care that it's hot, buggy or smelly because they get to ride the horse!
2. Our guests brought gifts for the horses. In Audrey's eyes, this is the kindest gesture anyone could bestow on her.
3. I ate a banana split for dinner and it was very, very good.

Books for sale, Hard wired, Any plain white cotton?

1. The bookseller at the antique mall has a top notch assortment for sale. It's obvious that he loves what he does because there are little post-it notes inside each cover with anecdotes about the book.
2. Steve has my sewing machine back in working order! I was so happy to use it this evening, listening to the smooth hum as I stitched along.
3. Sliding open the lingerie drawers reveals neatly folded confections of lace and color.

I would pay big money for a bottle of this, Extra time, Floating

1. A rich, sweet scent fills the morning air. It reminds me of something from childhood- fresh laundry hanging on the line? I can't quite place it, but it makes me want to stay.
2. Early sunrises and late sunsets allow for time outdoors when it's not too hot.
3. I waited a little too long between hair cuts and was feeling shaggy and desperate. Now that it's done, I feel buoyant.

Fly away, Fajita ball, Too beautiful to eat

1. The mockingbirds no longer bring food to the nest. They call from a tree, coaxing the babies out. By evening they are gone and the patio finally belongs to us again.
2. One of us builds their fajita so big, that it requires a second tortilla on top to cover all the filling. It gives me great pleasure to see guests enjoy the food I have prepared.
3. Chelsea and Tess decorate two fruit pizzas, side by side. They have the same fruit to work with, but the two pizzas are unique works of art.

Cascade Falls; The Hike

1. The hike took us two miles through dense, moss covered woods. Paths with huge stepping stones appeared to be placed by giants. The rushing water stayed by our side, cooling the air as only nature could. Magical.

Cascade Falls; First View

2. As we come around a boulder, the falls suddenly appear. The sound of rushing water commands our attention as it falls over sixty feet. Three sides are surrounded by rock walls, enclosing the cool air and promising a frigid swim.

Cascade Falls; Beautiful!

3. Each of us ventures out to stand under the spray. Invigorating is an understatement.

Toy Story 3, Sangria, The gang's all here

1. We treated ourselves to a matinee at The Grandin. Toy Story 3 is an excellent, must- see movie. I cried. Go play with your toys, people!
2. A pitcher of sparkling, white sangria with peaches.
3. The kids all arrived tonight for a weekend visit. We sat on the porch until late, showered Claire with birthday gifts, sipped drinks and caught up on the news.

Brief change, Anything goes, Thank you

1. I turn off the air conditioning and fling windows and doors wide open to allow the cool breeze through the house.
2. With Steve away, we don't bother with dinner and go shopping instead.
3. Just after Tess discloses her boredom, a friend phones and invites her for an overnight with swimming.

Scenic drive, Old Mill Primitives, Pie for dinner

1. We drove the Blue Ridge Parkway to another part of the countryside for berry picking. It's a beautiful highway where no one is in a hurry and there are beautiful vistas around every curve.
2. We ran across a fun "primitives" antique store occupying a big old mill. We went inside to the cool air conditioning and had a fun time exploring all the nooks and crannies.
3. Black raspberry pie with vanilla ice cream and coffee for dinner.
4. Claire, our eldest, celebrates her 25th birthday today! Finally reached her by phone with birthday wishes and plans for her and Daniel to visit this weekend.

Neon white, Play with me, Scored

1. Daisies glow in the dark.
2. Dappled sunlight filters through the trumpet vine, causing leaf shadows to dance on the floor. Baby crawls over, ponders the movement for a while and then begins talking to them.
3. The last store I go to (finally!) has beach chairs. It is the first store Steve told me to check.

Gifts, Out in a flash, Refreshing lunch

1. Tess and I went birthday shopping for Claire. I love an excuse to buy gifts for my girls.
2. After reading the mail, I close my eyes and apparently fall asleep in an instant because when I open them, the clock has passed 20 minutes.
3. A plate of lettuce and two fresh peach halves, topped with creamy poppy seed dressing.

Bake off, See them?, Bocce Ball

1. The women tease each other in good, sporting fashion about each others' dessert entries. Several men judge the samples, pausing to mark their score cards after each bite. They take their assignment seriously.
2. Gently pushing aside the vine, he spies the baby birds in the nest. His voice changes to soft wonderment as he spots the babies.
3. We watch for the sun to disappear behind the trees and then head outside for a rousing game of Bocce ball.

Six years of growth for little girls and trees

Rip and Sing, Nature's fury, Bird games

1. I take my sewing to the porch where the light is better. Peace and calm while I rip stitches to the sound of birds.
2. The afternoon is livened up with a thunderstorm. A gentle rain continues into the evening providing a deep watering to the gardens.
3. Steve bobs at the window, a big smile on his face. This goes on for several minutes and he tells me that he is playing hid-n-seek with the mockingbird.

Picnics, A visitor, After a long day at work

1. I smell cut grass and smoke. It draws memories of the clam steam picnics my father would prepare, cutting the grass and laying the coals for an all day fire.
2. A young Bobwhite pecks through my flower bed. I've heard their gentle call in the fields all these years, but this is the first one I have actually seen. I call the girls and we crowd in the window to watch.
3. A quick little lick of the lips, done subconsciously, as he brings the icy cold beverage up for his first sip.

Pea plants, Transformed, Do you mind?

1. Tendrils on the pea plant slowly, slowly wrap themselves around my finger.
2. The leftover jar of applesauce is baked into a wonderful, spicy cake.
3. The mockingbirds won't feed their babies while we are sitting on the patio, so we go inside and allow them to get on with their work.

A gift, Summer breeze, Brimming with joy,

1. B. surprises me at the door, hands hiding something behind her. She smiles and hands me a copy of The Moonflower Vine, a book I recently enjoyed and wished to own.
2. A beautiful summer evening to be outside. The breeze is refreshing and I delay going in until it's too dark to see.
3. Audrey says, "I am so happy", and I the joy is evident. It's the last day of school.

Neighbor at my door, Sweet baby hugs, Height of beauty

1. A mockingbird has built its nest in the trumpet vine right outside the back door. I see its comings and goings all day long. It uses a chair as a stopping place each time it enters the vine, looking about to make sure the coast is clear.
2. Baby hugs my neck and snuggles her face into my shoulder.
3. The flower garden in June is a most beautiful sight. White daisies flanked by red bee balm are a nice contrast.

The photographs were taken for genealogy purposes, so we were snapping them off rather quickly. But the plots and headstones were beautiful in this peaceful spot, and I wanted to share a couple of them.

Cool front, Old stones, Out for the day

1. The day dawns with brisk, clear, motivating air.
2. The decades have faded the inscription. I trace the grooves with my fingers to make out the name, letter by letter. So many stories are buried here...
3. We end up on errands most of the day, so we treat ourselves to lunch out.

Sundays, Energy, Pull up a chair

1. I like the pulse of Sundays. After church we have a big meal, which leads to a quiet spell of reading or napping. Then the house comes alive again with walks, games and more eating.
2. I am a spectator as the big kids run in the fields, climb the tree fort, and chase the dogs. They're teenagers and 20-somethings now and how I wish time would stand still.
3. Some neighbor friends stop in so we pull out more food and Steve fires up the espresso machine. Very nice visit.

Sweet planet, Tess's hands, The patio

1. The humidity releases the scent of the earth and the sweetness of all growing things. Sunrise is my favorite time for a walk.
2. Tess gracefully performs Mozart's Sonata in C Major at her piano recital.
3. I close my eyes to the sun while the breeze gently plays a lullaby. It is peaceful and quiet here.

Baking to music, Cooling showers, A good movie

1. When everyone is out I can turn the music up.
2. A wall of rain moves across the field on this hot and humid day. The girls continue to play barefoot in the grass.
3. Watched Shutter Island with Audrey and Steve. It has just the right amount of suspense and twist. I saw The Aviator years ago and realize again what a good actor Leonardo DiCaprio is.

That's exactly it, Night breeze, Food talk

1. "Google Images" makes it easy to troubleshoot a diseased plant.
2. I'm thankful for the air conditioning during the day, and I'm equally thankful to turn it off, opening the windows wide at night.
3. Steve shares a recipe with his bloggy friends.

Salty sweet, A new book, The way it should be

1. Chocolate ice cream with potato chips. A rare craving introduced to me by my sister in our childhood.
2. A nice big, hunk of a book; New York by Edward Rutherfurd.
3. The vegetable garden is pretty during this weedless interlude. Just dark soil and green plants that belong there, all in neat rows.

Hanging with the birds, Sending word, Making room

1. Cherries are ripe! A good excuse to be up in a tree.
2. I sent a note to a friend that I haven't seen in many years to say we will be traveling nearby. A handwritten note, in an envelope with a stamp... it feels old-fashioned and romantic.
3. Claire phones and describes the re-arranging of rooms to accommodate the baby.

Our friend and Jackson have the same color hair