Record Breaking Highs And Lows This July

The heat index reads 103F, the fans are blowing, and my sunburn from earlier in the week is driving me mad with the itching (I somehow forgot about my back when I was applying sunscreen), and I am just now catching up in this space. We launched right into a full July calendar (so much for breathing) and other than the weather giving up whiplash (it's been soupy humid and rainy or humid and very hot), it's all been good.

We started July by catching up on some gardening. With all the busy, I never did get to planting containers, so we did that over the Fourth. We stayed put on the Fourth, too, as we do, which eases our worries about Mermaid House being harassed when people get rowdy in our beach town. We did have Auntie Heather over, for potato salad and food on the grill, and that was fun, but otherwise, we stayed off the beach and kept things simple.




We went up to the homestead the following weekend and did some work, but mostly so we could enjoy being on the pond. It was heavenly. And quiet.




We hated to leave the pond, but the weather took a turn to the soggy side, anyway, and we had to get back to Mermaid House to prepare the house for our friends' visit. I spent Monday getting the garden and house all spiffy and our friends, the poor souls, who had been trying to drive straight through from Cleveland with two young children, made it MA and ran out of steam. It was no matter to us and it gave them time, and daylight, to drive up along the coast and do some sightseeing, so it all worked out. Melissa and her beautiful family were here for just shy of a week and it was so good to have them. We quickly settled into a routine at breakfast, we'd go our separate ways or somewhere together in the afternoon, and the evenings were spent chatting, often until 1am. Their girls are very sweet and very good company and they seemed to get such a kick out of the everything. Now, if only we can convince them to move to Maine...

This darling is enjoying her leftover cake from our trip to Becky's Diner the evening before.



Shells collected, kids cleaned, and time to sit together for dinner.




After dinner talk. And watching the verdict come in, and sitting in shock, crying, together, yes, there was sadness, too. (And so much more to say in another post.)



A hot and sunny day at the beach. For lunch, the dads ran to town and brought us back lobster rolls and onion rings. It was a perfect day, and I hope, a happy ending to a Maine trip.








Our friends left on Sunday afternoon and Olivia went off to a poetry reading and suddenly, we were into another week. And a heatwave. Which meant more beach days, and now that itchy sunburn. And here it is, midway through July already and Sunday it will be back in the 70Fs. How time flies and something? Yes. Fun. We've been having fun. Mostly. Well, it's been intense, and good, and oh so sad. Oh, July, you're giving me whiplash.