Delusions

Ahhh... The optimistic refrigerator of January, full of already-chopped vegetables and healthy leftovers, ready to create all sorts of responsible meals. So different from the dissipated refrigerator of December I finally cleaned out.

View

A year and a half after moving to our house, the view out the kitchen window is still one of my very favorite things.

Trail

The weather today was only in the eighties. I celebrated by going hiking at Cedar Ridge along with everyone else who lives in the metroplex.

Cicadas

It's an intense cicada year. Not only are they enthusiastically loud in the evening, but their shed exoskeletons are everywhere.

Procrastination

My newest art installation, entitled The Perks of Not Mowing the Backyard for a Month.

Rain

Evelyn enjoyed the thundery rainstorms we had a few days ago.

Summer

Queen Anne's lace may not be the absolute epitome of summer, but it's awfully close.

Unbelievable

Every time I try to dry clothes on the line this summer, it rains. Yesterday we got home in sunny, not a cloud in the sky, hundred degree weather, and I put out the clothes. It proceeded to rain and thunder unbelievably hard while it was still sunny out! I really think I should start charging to go do laundry in drought areas.

Verdant

Michigan summer is beautiful... I miss it already!

Farm

Last Monday, Evelyn, Rebecca, Mom, Dad, and I went to the Chippewa Nature Center homestead farm. As soon as we got out of the car, Evelyn was excitedly pointing towards the sheep, ready to go see the animals.

Apparently, Aunt Rebecca and Evelyn both felt a bit skeptical about this sheep grazing outside the fence.

 So excited about the pigs. (And also horrifyingly enthusiastic about chewing on the splintered, mud-spattered fence.

Evelyn takes pig-farming seriously.

Inspecting the cows with Grandpa.

Clover

I'm trying to learn how to be aware of aperture when I take pictures. Lots of them have not turned out at all. This one did, though.

Look up

Summer afternoon

Evelyn and I try to go outside in the afternoon for at least a little while every day. If you stay in the shade, it's really not too bad.

The view from the shade is pretty enjoyable, especially when there's a good breeze.

4th of July

America isn't perfect...by a long shot, but I'm still really glad I live here and that Evelyn has as chance to grow up here. Happy Fourth of July!

Eventually

When it gets this hot, I start thinking wistfully of fall weather. It will be here in only three short, blazingly hot months.

The trees in the park behind our house are pretty great in the fall.

Cool

With temperatures near a hundred degrees, Evelyn thinks staying cool is serious business, especially with the power out for a few hours yesterday afternoon.

Okay, maybe there was some fun involved as well. 

Big Sky

The summer temperatures in Texas may be miserable, but the sky is pretty amazing.

Trees

The trees in our backyard are flowering. Eventually, I should look up what kind of tree they are, but for now I'm just enjoying them.

Tiny explorer

Cool

It's been in the 90s all week. Spending some time in the pool is the only reasonable response.