How had we never noticed
this trail
before?

Placing one foot
in front of the other,
offering all
that I think I cannot bear
to a landscape
vast enough
to provide the kind of space
that is needed.

Marika Hackman - '81 (Joanna Newsom cover)

The last few
belated
photos from Summer.

Between seasons.

Making the most
of the end of the blackberries
with these amazing spelt berry buns,
this tried-and-true cocktail syrup,
and the blackberry sage ice cream
from the Molly Moon's cookbook!

Porch scenes.

A hummingbird
landed at my feeder
during a sudden
and immense
downpour.
A few tufts of feathers
stuck up on his head,
forming a single, charming cowlick.
After taking a drink,
he puffed himself up,
and shook all over,
like the tiniest wet dog you could imagine.
He cocked his head to the right
and I told him
what I tell all of the birds
that land at my feeders.
You are beautiful,
you are welcome;
I would never hurt you.
He took one more sip
and cocked his head once more
and zoomed away.

Enjoying lately:

This book
This song
this painting
& this one too,
this card
these seeds
(for an attempt at Fall sowing!)
this bread
this cider
& this dress
(so pretty in person!)

The dry spell finally snapped,
if only for a a day or two.
It rained most of the morning
and would likely rain all evening
so I convinced you to take a walk with me
in the interlude
between the raindrops.
We panted up the hill
and wound around the reservoir
and the air was fresh and clean
from the earlier downpour.
Strolling along,
we stopped to pick and eat some blackberries
growing beside the path.
We saw a bunny
poised on the trail before us
and I thought to myself
"There is nothing more perfect than this,"
and the universe agreed
No, there is not,
and the bunny leapt into the woods
and we rounded the bend
and made our way home.

This summer
has been so unusually hot and rainless
and even the heartiest of blooms
have needed near-constant watering.
As I found in the Spring,
it is a joy to discover plants to add
to this land of ours
that I grow more familiar with
as each month passes.

Onward
and upward!

Enjoying this summer:
The music of PBS's Wolf Hall (as well as the show itself!)
Sally Mann's utterly captivating memoir
homemade ice creams from this cookbook
this live song,
and all the fresh fruit we can eat.

July has been an island this year,
distinct from the months that came before it,
and distinct,
I imagine,
from the months that will follow.
It was time for a change,
so I accepted a new job,
and the month has been a mix
of finishing up and farewelling the old job,
taking a pricelessly expansive break,
and looking forward
to the chapter that will come next.