Just a Summer Girl

Remember those fashion charts of some years back, by which we were to determine what season we were, and therefore which colors we looked best in?


I have no idea what season I was supposed to be.  I just know that I am a summer girl.

Today is my birthday.  I am finally the age I thought I was most of this last year.  I guess that's what age does to you.  Or is it just that after  a certain number it just isn't very important anymore.?  Today I am 68.


But back to that summer girl thing.  Yes, I was born in July, and it is probably my favorite month.  Growth is abundant but still green.  Flowers bloom in profusion.  And there are summer fruits!  Berries of all kinds, peaches and nectarines, apricots and plums.  And cherries!  There is nothing quite like that explosion of juicy sweetness you get when you bite into a plump Bing cherry.  


As you know, we spent a three day weekend at the cabin on Whidbey Island.  When we arrived late Friday afternoon, the island had already endured most of a day of thunder storms.  The sky over the lagoon was dark and heavy.

 By evening there were some breaks overhead, but there were  storms still all around.  I went over to the beach to watch the sky over Useless Bay.

 An anvil cloud formed over the Olympic Mountains.

 The sun setting behind a bank of storm clouds caused strange shadows on the clouds overhead.

 Saturday morning was foggy, but cleared long enough for us to get the gardening done.

 Then the storms rolled in again, with thunder and lightning and rain. This is very unusual for us here in July.  We might get afternoon or evening thunder storms, but not at 10:00 in the morning.


We hunkered down in the cabin until the rain let up, and then we were off to the Bayview Farmer's Market.  Lots of other folks were out too.

 We avoided the pies, but did buy two kinds of this cheese.  Wonderful!

 Ah, yes, summer fruit!

 And summer flowers!

 Bayview Nursery is right next to the market, so of course we had to pay a visit there too.

 Saturday afternoon was fair, and I got in a good walk, and then a stroll in the evening.

 Osprey are ever present here, fishing in the bay and bringing their catches to perches near the lagoon.

 Sunday we had wind and a steady drizzle all morning.  We went shopping in Freeland, and then found a lounge with Wi-Fi and cable TV to watch the Sounders match being played in New York.

 Ah, Monday, the best day.  Since I had to leave the island the next day, today, my real birthday, I celebrated on Monday.  I indulged myself.  I went for a morning walk and then settled in the back yard, by the lagoon, to read the paper and work the puzzles.  

 Jill and the kids arrived about noon, and we had lunch before hitting the beach.  Here's mine.  Extra blueberries for my blueberry yogurt, and cherries!

 The tide was way out and the sky was way blue!

 Irene wanted to know what the sea foam was and what makes it.

 As the tide came in we settled on the beach where I helped to build a fort.

 Jill helped too.

 We grilled burgers for dinner, accompanied by corn on the cob and fruit, of course.


In the evening the lagoon was full and smooth as glass.  It was time for boating.

 I asked Tom for a canoe ride, something we haven't done in a long time.  Here's the view from my seat.

 Then we went back over to the bay to walk on the beach and collect things for the fort.

 Time for birthday dessert - brownie sundaes, with strawberries.

Happy Birthday to me.