At last. We made it and are making the most out of the short time. I hate to say short; in a few weeks we'll be lured into the trap that it's always like this - shorts and sandals, windows and doors wide open, playing in the garden, outdoor hiking, swimming in the lake, daylight stretching into the night hours - you get the point.
So, what do we do when summer comes? We get in the car and drive away from here. Last week, we celebrated Father's Day in Washington, with a new member of the club, Joe. Thomas is growing up so fast, he's a different person every time we see him. This time, I sharpened my left tackle skills, blocking his crawling path to parts unknown (dining room, stairs) and we took him on a couple of wonderful walks where he proceeded to pretend to show us the sites - he had just learned how to point his finger. While there, we joined Leonor and Margaret at a downtown pub for a World Cup game, Spain vs. Portugal, which the paper said the next day was a game for the ages. Can you guess who Leonor was rooting for? Yup, that's right, but she was magnanimous enough to invite a friend from Spain to join the fun. Fortunately, it was a tie and everyone left happy. If you haven't seen it yet, watch Ronaldo's third goal on YouTube.
The next morning we put on our painting clothes and went over to Andrew and Margaret's to paint their new back fence, and put together a picnic table. They have done a great job and will be able to spend much time out there. We had a wonderful meal that Joe put together; first time I've ever had brisket, I think. On the way home, we talked with Annie who has been putting in many miles on long hikes in the Bay Area. I went for one the other day that was just 7 miles, but Annie easily doubles that and has come close to tripling that, I believe.
On the travel schedule, Joe took a week off and headed to Spain for a friend's wedding; Leonor's mother came to get some quality Thomas time; Jeff and Melodie are out in Chicago (I think, from Facebook, for a wedding); John and Marilyn flew up to Albany for their granddaughter Natalie's high school graduation, and Peter and Janet are getting ready to take off for an extended vacation/tour of France. Bon voyage. We know a great place to get chocolate croissants: pretty much everywhere.
Andrew and Lur are right now up in Green Lake for their annual retreat, that coincides with a Ripon reunion every year. Clair is nearby at summer camp, but Daniel had to remain in Chicago to finish up his year of school/apprenticeship.
We send congratulations to Peter for winning his big case, and to David and Paula for their wedding anniversary. From Tina's photos on Facebook, we see their big day approaching.
After an exhausting month of May getting the garden ready, we are nor reaping some of the early fruits of that labor, literally. At first, we were able to beat the chipmunks and rabbits to the really red strawberries, but they have since become smarter and faster. I think they like the white berries, before they ripen. Strawberries means picking rhubarb for Mary's great pie. We haven't had to buy asparagus or lettuce. The other stuff will take longer into the season, but looking forward to tomatoes, beans, squash, cukes, and beets. I think I mentioned that last time, and will likely raise it again later in the month.
Other than that, we're enjoying the many cultural offerings around, including our first evening at Tanglewood this summer to watch a radio show. Yes, Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me was performed live here, and while the radio show only lasts one hour, their live version takes a couple of hours, before it's edited down. Very funny, and what a great spot. We also went to a bird lecture at the top of Mt. Greylock, and were lost after about ten slides. I gave mill talk in Dalton to an SRO crowd of 15 or so. Still fun.
Anyway, Poconos is less than a month away, and we're looking forward to seeing you all But there's lots more between then and now.
Enjoy the summer. Love from up here.
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