Sunday, July 28, 2013

Some Sunday Summer Thoughts


“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”

Henry James

We are now in what I think of as the "high" days of summer - it is not quite the end of July, it is still light out quite late into the evening, and at least one more month of lovely weather stretches out ahead of us. 

I know I have said this before, but the older I get, the more I love summer. 

Summer is easy.  Summer is warm.  Summer is fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, flowers on the table, boat rides, long walks. 

I have been fortunate this summer to have so much time to enjoy the gifts of summer.  At times, the summer days and nights seem to go on forever and I guess they do. 

If you close your eyes, the buzz in the air that you hear is the same buzz of insects you heard when you were five, fifteen or twenty-five years old.  The chlorine smell in the pool is the same chlorine smell as when you took that "learn to swim" class when you were five years old at the local pool.  If you close your eyes, that root beer popsicle is that same one that you got when you biked to the corner store for the first time all by yourself when your parents gave you that quarter "just because". 

I have this thing that I like to do: when I am in the midst of doing something wonderful, or am so fortunate as to see something that I think it really lovely, I stop and take a mental picture, savouring the joy and beauty around me.  I seem to do that a lot in the summer.  And now, because of you all, I often take my camera with me so that I can capture and share the image with you.

Summer evenings are a gift: warm air, the crickets singing, even the hum of the neighbour's lawn mower has a sweetness about it.  If you are lucky, you catch the glimpse of a firefly, the flash of a bat, a sky full of stars.  If you time it  right, you catch the sunset, which, like the flowers and the trees and acts of kindness, always makes me feel that there is a higher power. 

Recently, we've had a few lovely sunsets and have caught a few of them on film. I thought I would share a few photos and a hope that on the next sunny evening, you'll step outside and enjoy your own sunset - they are so lovely and July is fleeting...













 


Have a lovely summer Sunday and stay safe out there...

21 comments:

  1. I was a bit excited to see what you had for me today! Now these pictures are marvelous. I love, love, love summer...even when it's hot as hell. Have a lovely Sunday. Much love.

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  2. BB - I am still feeling terrible about what I put you through, yesterday! I went back and checked MY OWN photos, just in case!!! I love summer, even in the heat, as well!!! Have a wonderful day - how were the smoked ribs?

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    1. Don't worry about yesterday. I first thought "wow, that's some hair cut". Then "wait a minute". Then "exactly what kind of book is she writing and what direction is she going with this blog." I do wish Tabs had seen it so we could harass you periodically for the next ten years :) I find the whole thing quite funny...but I would still scrub computer if I was you. The ribs were wonderful. We did a class last Friday on how to make em better and it paid off. I do love smoking. it is the easiest way to cook and the food is always good.

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    2. Yes, you and I will share this awful little secret - it's kind of like an episode of desperate housewives!!! Any special secret you wish to share on the ribs?

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    3. Now you're making me wish I had seen said ass :)

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    4. Trust me - NO! I tried again to leave a comment on your blog this morning - I must be having weird technical issues!

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  3. Thank you for this reminder. I have been so stressed and so devoid of optimism lately that I often forget to take a second to look and feel. You should be the angel on my shoulder! WMM power!

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    1. Thanks AB - I am simply making up for my own lost time!!!1 Glad it is a good reminder!

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  4. Summer is my all time favorite as well! How I wish we had 9 months if it:). I love every bit of it, heat and humidity included. Enjoy your day:). Lovely photos.

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    1. Me, too A! Am thinking I need to go to Florida this winter so I get a bit of it back!

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  5. ah...lovely pictures! I love the dark frame of the trees...
    I'm on vacation in PEI and it's pretty grey and cool, but there's a pleasant nostalgia of lying around in the grey cottage, reading old books, while the wind blows the bay in front of me! Plus we have an active eagles nest, so there's lotsa grand soaring and swooping to watch!

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    1. TDGD That sounds utterly lovely.

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    2. Oh hope today's nice weather here gets there tomorrow. I just love PEI - it is so lovely in the summer, regardless of the weather..

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  6. HALCYON DAYS WMM for 26 years of my life all I had - except for school - was summer, all the time. I adored it then and I live for it now. But it is only the past few years that I am truly learning to stop and savour, as well as bask in it. Today's post is splendid and melancholy all at once, very Anne Shirley. I think I will bookmark this one for visiting come Forevuary.

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    1. Thanks GF - summer weather is the best and those first winters must have been brutal for you!

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  7. Lovely post-- and gorgeous colors in your sunsets!

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    1. They have been particularly lovely lately - we run right out to see them!

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  8. Oh gorgeous sunsets!
    I'm pining for summer at the moment... Have really had enough of winter, although it was 23 degrees at midday todA, so I shouldn't really complain...
    Am intrigued by BB's comment above. Did I miss something?
    I must admit that I had such a big night out on Saturday that I was unable to get out of bed All day yesterday. Shocking, I know.

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    1. Oh Ruth - that is both a good thing and a bad thing!!! Hope you are feeling better today!

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  9. We've been having perfect weather, sunny and warm with cooling breezes from the ocean. I want now to be forever.

    Missed a few days due to too much work and what did I miss? I feel left out, like ruth...

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    1. Well, truly, all you missed was on Saturday, I posted a picture of the interwebs that I did NOT preview and which was booby-trapped and had a part of the anatomy in it. Blue Booby caught it right away and I got rid of it. I was horrified!!!

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Kindness is a virtue...