Sweet Summer Days

It seems like we have been swept up in summer days as soon as Olivia and Alex returned from Machias. Olivia found time to stay with friends in Castine while juggling her intern work. Adam spent three mornings a week in Belfast for driver's ed for four weeks. And we got creative managing all of their driving with our one family van. We celebrated the happy news about equal marriage by tacking a rainbow flag to our front door just in time for Independence Day. We've been spending as much time as possible at the camp point and in the water, eating many a meal-lunch, supper, Sunday brunch, at our favorite spot. When they weren't diving into work or the pond, the kids dove into favorite books. Alex spent a morning sawing up the pine tree that had come down during the winter that covered the long rock at the camp. We were both knee deep in water when we realized a nest of mice inhabited the tree as he spotted two swimming for shore and I saw two more scrambling up a floating log. Poor dears. We did our best to not yelp too much and got them to shore with some of their nest. Then it was just the enormous palm-sized spiders we had to look out for. This week, on Monday, Adam earned his driver's permit, so now we have four drivers in our family and that one reliable van. Hmm. So cool, Adam! We're still out in the gardens, of course, and enjoying quiet summer days around the house, too. Some deer visit us each day, usually in the evening, and one mother brought her fawn to see us, last night. The thirty tomato plants we were gifted from Blackbird Rise are huge and thriving and setting on fruit. We have garlic to harvest, and other garden goodies will be coming soon. The nasturtiums and cosmos are blooming. Olivia and I have been out shopping for the first wave of dorm supplies. We all are aware that we'll miss having Olivia around when she's away at school, but at least we will also be excited for her. Ginger kitty, however, will not know. If there's one thing that Olivia is not looking forward to about leaving, it's leaving her pets behind. If only Ginger could understand. Hopefully she'll allow us to love on her a bit more once September arrives. Until then, it's all about swimming, reading, eating grilled and fresh food, sunshine, snuggling and being together on these summer days.