summer

Too Darn Hot

/ Katie / 20 Comments

That’s what it was this weekend. Even for the most playful and spirited of puppies.

(This is Honey, and she belongs to our friend.)

Not to whine, but it was way, way too much for me, and though we had fun – an art show, some live music, and time spent with friends and pups – I was exhausted, dried out, sweaty, and a little grumpy by Sunday evening. I am just not a hot weather person, y’all. And I hope (perhaps a fool’s hope) that the brief heatwave we had on Saturday and Sunday is not a sign of things to come for this summer. But I have a hunch it’s going to be exactly what we’re in for.

So, in the spirit of my last few posts, here’s a question: What are your favorite ways to stay cool and beat the heat? Because I’m certainly not very good at it, and I need all the help I can get.

Four Summer Haiku

/ Katie / 25 Comments

Good morning sunshine
Mist and calm in the meadows
A new day begins

Cicadas singing
A soft breeze through the green leaves
The sounds of summer

S’mores by the fire
The soft glow lights our faces
We’re summer people

Moonlight and warm air
The stars shine white in the dark
A nightly blanket

Summer Storms (A Poem)

/ Katie / 19 Comments

They arrive
and darken the skies.
With a boom
and a crack,
like sprinters on a track,
they test their mettle for
the measure of a moment.
And in the end, they are
like victory – so very short,
nearly fleeting.
But never, ever sweet.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Beach Edition

/ Katie / 6 Comments

I confess, I’ve never been much of a beach person. I like cooler weather and don’t mind a rainy day.

But it sure is nice here. And I’m only a little sunburned.

The sunrises and sunsets have been particularly colorful and just really lovely.

We’ve got a few more days of sun and sand and saltwater, and I plan to enjoy them all. In between writing my July short story, of course. It’ll be posted on Friday. 😊

Holiday (A Poem)

/ Katie / 14 Comments

Breathe it in –
saltwater and sea air –
and feel the sunshine
on your skin,
almost too warm.
Be
(just be)
without a care
for a moment,
a day,
a tiny fraction of
your total time.
Give yourself this –
this memory,
this place.
For now, right now,
the rest of the world
can wait.

It’s hot outside, y’all.

/ Katie / 15 Comments

It’s mid-July. This is usually about the point in the summer when I start wishing for cooler days and fall leaves and eventually (my favorite thing) snow. And, yep, we’re here.

It’s hot.

I’m over it.

I’m ready for a little relief from the 90+ degree heat (Fahrenheit) we’ve been dealing with. Not that hot compared to some places, I know, but pretty much a heatwave here in Virginia.

So, I spent today being a sweaty, grumpy mess, looking at pictures of all the wintry places where we’ve traveled.

Iceland.

Alaska.

Another Iceland. This is the beach I’d like to be sitting on right about now.

I love all the seasons, really, and I don’t think I could live in a place where there’s no variety in the weather. I appreciate that Virginia has a cool, crisp fall, a (sometimes) snowy winter, a temperate spring, and a very summery summer.

I’m just not feeling it right this minute. Which is fine. It just gives me an opportunity to daydream about snowy days. And they’ll be here soon enough.  

Summer Sunset (A Poem)

/ Katie / 10 Comments

The hush of the day.
The slow and
steady step of night,
dawdling along
like a happy child.
The sleepy, changing
slant of light
on a pastel painted sky.
Try as you might,
in this world high on
hurry and worry,
you just can’t rush
a summer sunset.

Found Friday #35: Summer Daze

/ Katie / 9 Comments

It’s a beautiful, warm, sunny day here in my little corner of the world. The birds are happy and singing. The breeze is gentle. The leaves are green and lush. The clouds are few and wispy.

Makes it hard to focus on much of anything except being outside and taking it all in. And you know, that’s just fine.

Dog Days (A Summer Poem)

/ Katie / 6 Comments

The longest of days,
high sun, heavy heat,
and the creeping feeling
that a storm’s on the way.
Summer greets the world,
slow and hazy,
fierce and free,
all promise and no rules,
except these:
Be ready for anything,
and bring bug spray.

Found Friday #34: A most welcome visitor!

/ Katie / 13 Comments

You guys! Look!

I’d lamented last week that I hadn’t seen a single cicada in my yard, and who should stop by shortly after but this little weirdo! I didn’t see him in person, sadly. He was hanging out on the bush that Graham can see from his desk, and Graham snapped a picture before he flew away. Not ideal, sure, but I’ll take what I can get!