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.

A Month Of Blooms, Geeks And Celebrations

It seems June is bound to be a very full month for us, considering all the things we pack into it. First, there's the garden with all its growing and blooming and beauty. And constant mowing, there's that, too. The first roses unfurl, emitting their heady scent, the glossy green guard petals of the peony give way to flouncy, creamy blooms, and the white clematis provides endless opportunities to talk with neighbors and passersby about that beautiful plant there in the corner (ours is the Guernsey Cream variety). And we cringe, just a bit, when we overhear some folks comment on the unusual peach lilac (it's a beauty bush, not a lilac. A mistake that is significantly less painful to overhear than when the rose hips are mistaken as some type of tomato.) Under drooping leaves, we spy strawberries and Sweet William collects raindrops on its petals. The hot pink weigela shines in contrast to the moody blue-greens of her hosta and fern friends.











Second, June means that when we're not out in the garden, we just might be dressed up in our favorite geek fandom and spending our days with two thousand other geeks at PortConMaine. This was our second year attending and we did all four days. Olivia, a Star Trek fan, dressed in command red from the Next Generation series. (And yes, many, many people joked with her about being a Red Shirt, which was sad, as it was a geek con, after all. If they were any kind of Star Trek fan, they would know that Next Generation (TNG) occurs a good 100 years after Star Trek (The Original Series, TOS) and in TNG, rarely do we see anyone get killed, and if we do, they are usually in the gold tactical or blue science uniforms. Hrumph!) She was not the only Star Trek fan at PortCon, however, and much of the Star Trek universe was represented, including a Tasha Yar from TNG, and spot-on Chekov (after his move from the tactical gold to the engineering red, that is) from the Star Trek reboot.






We are big Avatar: The Last Airbender fans, in this house and we were glued to the sequel, The Legend of Korra, last summer (and are not so patiently awaiting a second season). Ever since, we've all thought that Adam would make a perfect Bolin, with his green eyes and dark hair, and similar personalities. This meant someone had to make a costume and since I find pattern sewing oh so challenging, Alex made the costume.



It also meant we had to track down a fire ferret (or red panda), Bolin's animal sidekick, and we lucked out with this one.

Adam looked great and he was recognized repeatedly, was photographed often and people regularly asked to hug him. It was really sweet. I know he ran into other Legend of Korra fans, but I wasn't with him and so I never got photos. Bummer. He did show up on this person's tumblog, however, so that's cool!




Alex and I just didn't devote time to creating cosplay for ourselves, for the con, but maybe some year. Alex, who celebrated his 41st birthday just a day prior to PortCon, did get a Dungeons & Dragons t-shirt, so he wore that on one of the days, while he played D&D (and Talisman), of course. GEEK! He received a Doctor Who t-shirt for his birthday, last year, so I think we have a new tradition.








I did wear a jacket and a FBI Special Agent badge, in a nod to all the FBI (fake or otherwise) that seem to show up in a lot of fantasy and sci-fi.



Also on Alex's birthday, we went up to the homestead, and did some demolition of the kitchen soffit and we installed a new counter and sink. While we were there, Olivia weeded in her garden and hilled potatoes, and then both the kids helped Papa clear more stuff out of the house.







Third, June also means we had more celebrating to do, as Alex and I marked our 19th wedding anniversary on June 25! Can I just say, if you ever have the option of waking up next to your best friend for nineteen years, totally do that.

We spent the first half of the 91F day at the beach, and the evening in Portland. While we were at dinner, a nasty thunderstorm hit and we watched from the windows as black clouds descended on the harbor, and later, ran for the car in a downpour.  It was a good summer day.










I'm sure the rest of June will end in a blur, and it looks like we're in for a really damp, humid stretch of weather, so I don't know what that will mean for the garden. Perhaps it will give us the excuse to slow down for a few days and catch our breath, at least until July? Let's see...we still need to go pick strawberries, do some house maintenance, iron out plans with friends for July, maybe we should plan a yard sale...? Oh dear. Five days until July...breathe, Amy, breathe.