Mini-Vacation

I have half a week off work while we are staying near the beach with family. 

The water has been so warm and calm! I still managed to get smacked by random waves and swallow and inhale a bunch of water (ocean and I have a complicated relationship) - but it has been a joy to swim and splash and laugh with kids. 

The kids and the rest of the family went to the boardwalk yesterday and I stayed back at the house. I meant to read on the porch but ended up daydreaming and ruminating about the past and worrying about the future. 

I am sitting on the porch right now. The sky is clear blue and, in a little while, we will head to the beach. I feel this undercurrent of anxiety that I should probably examine and resolve... But I think I'll just ignore it for a little bit longer. 

Goldilocks Zone

We are spending a week with my husband's family, in a rental that's walking distance from the beach. 

I plan to work some, read quite a bit, go on walks, and jump into the waves a few times. 

It's supposed to be a super hot week, so, hopefully, being near water will help. 

Speaking of extreme heat... I've been mentally compiling a list of things I would really like to have if we ever end up moving. 

• Summers should not get above 27°C or 81°F
• Low humidity in the summers, please
• Winters should last about 3 months, with temperatures consistently below freezing. But not below -15°C for more than a day or two. 
• There should be a mix of sunny and overcast days year round. 
• Snow and frozen lakes and streams in the winter - but not during spring
• Spring and fall that last about 2 months each
•  Ocean or sea should be within a short drive
• Also a short drive to the mountains
• No earthquakes or hurricanes. 
• No tornadoes
• Walking distance to a library or a bookstore
• Walking distance to a bakery that makes real bread daily
• Biking and hiking trails close by
• Close to symphony and museums
• A shaded garden where I could read a good book in peace and quiet - and have conversations with friends over tea & coffee (and bread and cheese)

if you could live anywhere in the world - where would it be and why?

Turtles and Groundhogs All the Way Down

Box turtle that I nearly stepped on in our back yard. Isn't it adorable? (we had a photoshoot in our kitchen; the turtle was then returned to it's original spot and proceeded to move across our yard; no idea what it was after but it was clearly annoyed about the interruption)

A couple of months ago, we trapped and relocated a groundhog that has made our garden it's own private dining room.

Well, it looks like we've got a new tenant.

My kids didn't capture it on the camera, but it seemed like there was some collaborative effort going on between a squirrel and this groundhog. The squirrel was shaking down our nectarine tree and the groundhog was picking up the (unripe) nectarines and munching on them.

When I went out to shoo them away, they both ran to a nearby stump and gave me a-look-over-the-shoulder (and then proceeded unhurriedly into the neighbor's yard).

I told my husband about the groundhog/squirrel BFF situation and the look of disgust they gave me. He didn't  believe it:  "What, like Disney?" 

The kids backed me up. Ha.