California Dreaming

I’m headed to California this summer, to spend time hanging out with my most awesome American Grama. She has inspired my writing and my yoga, she’s responsible for my most favourite Christmas read, and she even taught me how to blow bubble gum.

She is also my most faithful reader. She often writes intricate emails in reply to my posts, filled with snapshots of her life, like the literary Instagram of an octogenarian. I love how we stay connected, even though we are 5,233 miles apart.

I’m so excited to return home to Humboldt, with it’s foggy coast, tall redwoods, and long nose trucks. Not to mention the fact that these guys really know how to do brunch. I’m already drooling at the thought of pancakes at Mama’s when Mum and I first arrive in San Francisco.

A fortnight of yoga, knitting, and blackberry picking, and visiting all the places I knew as a littlun. I can’t wait to get three generations of girls together for a proper laugh, as we’ve been doing for the last 31 years.

Last Light

Aren’t these long days just delicious?! We were up at (almost) first light and out for the last of it- topping and tailing the longest day of the year with some midsummer wanderings.

We’ve had some of that very rare British weather, when it’s worth retreating from the midday heat, to find some shade in which to sit and do very little. Fortunately, I have a very exciting read to keep me occupied (more on that later) and a big hat that is only practical if you’re doing absolutely nothing in it.

So the evenings are ours to explore beyond the shade of the back garden: soaking up the last of the day and enjoying the novelty of being out past ten with the light still lingering in the sky.

I don’t want these long days to end, and I hate to even think that we’re now on the shortening curve back to midwinter darkness. But, as always, once they get here I’ll be revelling in wood fires and woolly jumpers. For now, we’ve still got plenty of time to make the most of these long, hot days, and stay up past our bedtime.

Currently…

Pottering. The windows are flung wide around the house, and the big clear out continues. For the first time in months, there’s actually space for a yoga mat in the loft room. So, now I don’t have to do all my practice outside.

Perusing. Some beautiful blogs across the globe. Like mitenska, Katie’s Pencil Box, and her library adventures.

Planting. Ok, this is just a wish. So far I’ve done lots of barefooted weeding while hanging the laundry, and little else. I want to plant a fruit tree, but when does one plant a tree? Are there rules about these things?

Pondering. So much has been going on recently, I’ve found myself staring in to space for more than is usual, even for me. But ideas are forming, quietly untangling into things that make sense. I’ve been thinking lots about what kind of speech and language therapy I want to do in the future. Who knows where I’ll be a year from now, but I’m pretty determined to be doing SLT, one way or another!

Plotting. The weekend is set to be a sunny one, and Tom and I are figuring out the best way to make the most of it. I love these long days that make mini adventures on a Friday after work just the ticket. Wishing you all a good dose of fresh air and clear skies this weekend!

Gardening with Fond Neglect

I love the neglected corners of our garden. Who am I kidding- the whole thing’s neglected. But I’d rather do a spot of weeding in my PJs, or after work, than spend my Sundays at the garden centre.

Various flora poke through the cracks amongst the moss. The odd plant, bought on the drive home from a mini adventure, thrives with a little water from the can (minus it’s rose and clogged up with snails, but still working!)

The neighbours lay on a feast of a bird table, and we offer our own feast with the many bugs trundling about our back yard. I always considered our garden to be pretty small, but when life is on a small scale, it seems full of riches.

The brick path is a forest of California poppies, and the sweet peas are blooming bounteously, despite their tangled mess. Alpine strawberries made a surprise appearance this year and trail around the bottom of the roses by the bug hotel. Later in the year the field behind the house will offer up bundles of blackberries, which the neighbours cats gingerly pick their paws over.

With so much happening at work, it’s nice to spend time in a place that demands very little attention. Sure, I often sit here planning what else I’d like to do. But it’s good to see that the garden is still pretty happy with a bit of fond neglect.

1 Day 12 Pics: June

You’d never usually catch me doing so much snapping on a typical Saturday. But Emma and Michelle’s challenge had me pulling out my phone every hour to catch bit of what Tom and I were up to.

We woke up to an incredible thunderstorm- rain hammering down and clouds rumbling; an appropriate setting for the moment we discovered we were out of coffee…

Tom ran through the rain and I met him at Olivo’s for breakfast. Seriously good food: scrambled duck egg, black pudding and apple fritters, and ciabatta toast. There was plenty of coffee.

Back home, I finally started tackling the big pile of books in the loft. You might have noticed on Pinterest that I’ve been having lofty dreams for a while. This is just the beginning of a big job. I’ve taken a ‘before’ picture in the optimistic anticipation of sharing an ‘after’ before too long.

The sun came out and I spent the afternoon gardening and running errands. I love an excuse to take the chain ferry, and picking up goodies for a picnic seems as good an excuse as any.

We spent the last hours of the day exploring the forest and waterways of Newtown. We found a path we’d never explored, leading to a tiny bird hide perched out on the water of Clamerkin Lake. There are still so many places on this Island that I’ve yet to find.

I loved this photography challenge. It made me really aware of every hour in the typical kind of day that can fly by in a blur. It had me noticing more moments, and look for the beauty in them. I hope you’ll join in for July!