TToT – Beautiful Summer Days
This week just felt like summer.
We had a great lunch at an old favorite hot dog place early this week. While of course you can have a hot dog any time you feel so moved, there is something about this place that goes with summer. Maybe it’s because we always got their take-home doggie packs for summer cookouts at my Grandparents’ house. Anyway, while enjoying our hot dog lunch and a bit of a nostalgic stroll down Memory Lane, we got to witness people being human to one another. Kind, even. It was a great experience all around. Check out the story here for more on that.
We made more progress on our Great Clean and Purge Project. The final update is coming in the next few days along with a little bit about why this has been such a big deal for us. So for those who have been following along (or anyone who wants to know), check in Monday or Tuesday for that.
We went on a short hiking trip last weekend and got to see some wonderful things. It’s difficult to say which was the greater thing to see: our pretty close encounter with a pair of what we are pretty certain were golden eagles or butterflies that seemed to follow Kidzilla everywhere. In either case, we grabbed some great photos and memories along the way and it was a great trip. I’m glad (and I’m sure my family is thankful) that I managed to get over my less-than-positive mood about the whole thing at the outset and enjoy the day. Take a look…
Can you see that bird in the photo above? It was so cool seeing him glide right past us. There were actually a couple of moments where those birds were even closer to us than what you see in the photos…but in those moments, all you can do is just kind of stare, open-mouthed, and wonder how it’s possible that you’re that close to something that amazing.
The Fab Hub is thankful (and perhaps gloating a bit) that he has managed to drop a couple of pounds again this week for a summer total of seventeen pounds. I am still stuck emphatically at twelve. I’ll just be thankful to have maintained that. And I really am thankful that he’s so excited about his loss and taking better care of himself.
Friday afternoon was perfect. I mean perfect – temps in the upper 70s, low humidity, plenty of brilliant sunshine. And so – because we could and why not – we took off for our regular and favorite hiking spot. Way worth the trip. The trails were very sparsely populated so we had the place nearly all to ourselves. We took a quick trip to the easy lookouts and were rewarded with a raptor sighting once again. This time, we got to watch a family of black vultures flying above the ridge across the valley in front of us. No photos this time – they were much too far away and we were busy spying on them through our binoculars. One did cross the valley and do a fly-by directly overhead. Fantastic. We poked around, checked out a few animal hollows in the trees, took tons of photos, and even grabbed a shot of a grasshopper who was also taking in the view.
After our visit to the mountain, we stopped at our CSA farm for the week’s fresh vegetable pickup. While there, we got to hit the self-pick gardens for green beans, cherry tomatoes, and fresh flowers. We brought home a rainbow this week!
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After our long and lazy afternoon in the sun on Friday, we came home for long showers (always a great thing), got into our pajamas, ate some dinner, and set up the living room for a family movie night. We moved the chairs into a row and the Hub set up a screen so we could watch Rio. We sat with the lights off and the windows open, enjoying the evening air. I could hear (and smell) someone having a backyard party nearby. As the night grew deep, the sky turned black and I could see every star perfectly.
I’m calling that ten. And if it’s not, I’ll bribe the Guard Virgins with some farm fresh veggies. The Secret Book Rules/Book of Secret Rules suggests that they are happy to show leniency in such cases.
What have you been doing with your summer days? What moments of thankfulness have you enjoyed this week? Share ’em or link ’em!
Happy weekend!
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Wow to that bird gliding by right in the moment and definitely pretty cool in my book. Looked like a great week with that included overall and wishing you a great rest of the weekend now, too 😉
Oh, the bird sightings were SO amazing, Janine. It was a great week in a lot of ways – the weekend is shaping up great so far and we are definitely looking forward to another week of great things to come!
(you know which one of them is partial to vegetables?!?!… damn, never thought!)
excellent photos, my wife Phyllis is the hiker in the family (along with Una), but I do enjoy good photos like these.
speaking of birds, your Post just reminded me of an odd occurrence as I was driving this week, a hawk (red tailed hawk, I believe) flew out of the trees and in front of the car at windshield level for about 15 20 seconds…like 10 feet in front of the car… cool!
Zoe says they go for junk food, but I’m going to try and sway them with my lovely veggies.
That is a great story about the red-tailed hawk – what a cool thing!! Too bad you were driving at the moment because that would’ve been a fantastic photo!
I bet the SGV will go for them!
Those pics are so beautiful! It’s been too long since we’ve been hiking. This fall, without fail. Must happen.
Lovely week for you! Have another one!
I have dozens more pics, Sarah – I got so much good film on Friday I can’t believe it. The day was just perfect. I’m so excited that we have been going more often. I don’t always love it in the summertime when it’s muggy and hot, so we choose our days carefully. But in the fall? I’m so looking forward to taking off any time we can – LOVE to see the change of colors! Plus, the place we go is a raptor sanctuary and it is amazing to see the fall migration in process.
You better be prepared to dance the veggie dance as I hear the virgins are partial to junk food but love a good two-step! LOVELY photos! ASTOUNDING HOW HIGH!!!
OH, see, now I thought they’d be swayed by the colorful array.
Meanwhile, I don’t think they can argue with a list like that. When we stop at a lookout, I’m always amazed at just how high we are – definitely doesn’t feel that way on the way up!
The story of the women in the restaurant was wonderful, and what great timing in answer to your daughter’s question!
I couldn’t believe it – couldn’t have been better timed if it was planned! I figure my Grandfather must’ve been hanging around watching us enjoy our dogs and sent her over. 😀
Where were you hiking? It’s absolutely beautiful! We like hiking, too.
I’m glad the eagles didn’t crap on yo’ head.
My purging has come to a screeching halt, as I cannot purge that which is not mine. Know what I mean?
The flowers are gorgeous, and I LOVE fresh green beans!
I am also the eagles didn’t crap on my head. Given my Grandmother’s penchant for attracting seagulls to her head, I figured I’d better voice the hope that they would pass my head and leave it alone. It was so amazing to see them that close, though.
The beans are great – picked by me and Kidzilla personally. Somehow I think that makes them taste better. 🙂
Amazing photos. A beautiful pictorial of the high points of your week. Summer is beautiful, isn’t it.
Thanks, Val! Summer certainly has its beautiful moments. I like them best when it’s not sticky and humid!
Your post made me realize again that I do miss our CSA. It was just very difficult for my husband and I to eat an entire share. I think this year their was an option for a partial share, but we hadn’t know that when we decided against participating :(. Thankfully, we have a farmer’s market that I can go to to purchase some of what we’re missing. It just takes planning to drive there.
I also had a miraculous bird sighting…a Great-Horned Owl perched in the field in front of our house. We watched him with our binoculars.
It sounds as though you are having a very productive and enjoyable summer! Mine is disappearing too fast!
Although I’m not posting, I’m still lurking about!
We love the CSA and I agree – the full share is far too much for just the three of us. We did a half share this year plus we’re splitting that with our parents and it works out really well. Having a local farmer’s market is definitely a bonus! We have that option as well.
Oh, that owl sighting must have been spectacular! Kidzilla loves owls – she would’ve loved that!
Summer has been yes, productive and enjoyable. And it always goes much too fast, doesn’t it?
Glad you’re still out there!
Lisa, this is an amazing post! I promise I read it all but I had a hard time getting past those incredible photos! Wow!
Yeah, they’re pretty awesome – and nothing compared to the real-live view!
I envy you those views! Spectacular!
They absolutely are! No matter how many times we’ve been there, it still kind of amazes me.
Oh, the view! Does my heart good even looking at the photos.
And do I spy an eggplant there? I have been dreaming of eggplant parmesan lately. You got a great variety of stuff this time. I will be watching to see what you make next.
Yes, that is an eggplant – I think that was our first one. We’ve had baby eggplant and some Asian eggplant for about the last three weeks. I’m not a huge eggplant parm fan but my Mom loves it. Maybe I need to give it another try. I usually marinate and grill or broil them. I actually found a prep method last week that the Hub liked – and he does not care for eggplant at all!