Zakim Bridge

I like this bridge.  It's in Boston.  I took the picture while we were driving under it.  I wonder if you can see the bug splats on the windshield.

Me in ME

Ever since high school, I've wanted to go to Maine.  Today, I did. 

Heather

I let our heather grow wild and untrimmed.  Today, when I was outside playing with my kids, I noticed it is nearly in full bloom.  I didn't notice the beetles until I got closer.

Ever since we lived in England, I've loved heather.  A heath full of them is breathtaking.  When we drove down through some of the hills of Scotland, entire valleys were full of variations of the purple and pink blossoms. This is a twenty-year-old, blurry picture of our oldest daughter sitting next to some heather above the Dunwich Cliffs near where we lived in Suffolk, England.  I need to scan in a better version of it.  It was taken in pre-digital-camera days and even the original is blurry. 

My Grandmother Laura's parents were both born in Scotland.  She came to visit us when we lived in England and drove with us on a trip up there.  It was an awesome experience to be there with her, to see where her parents lived in Hopeman, and to meet some of her cousins who were still alive. 

At Grandma's funeral, there were many little heather plants just like the heather in my yard.  It makes me happy because it reminds me of her and our time in England.

Recommended: Frozen Grapes

They make a delicious summer snack.  I thought of sharing the idea when they were almost gone.  You just wash the grapes, single layer them on a flat surface of plastic wrap, and freeze them.  They're like little fruity popsicles-- just as sweet as candy and very refreshing.  They make great smoothies too.  Yesterday, we also put frozen watermelon and cantaloupe pieces in our smoothies.  Awesome healthy.

Beauty Here

Exciting possibilities are coming our way, so it's difficult to live in the present.  I took a bike ride.  I had to look for the beauty.  I had to stop, get off my bike, and walk around or I would have ridden right past and missed it all. 

I saw the wild roses first. 

I got closer.

Then flowers started popping out.

We live in a beautiful world.

Elder and Sister Grandparent Presents

We miss their presence.  And we like their presents.  These conch shells and brain coral are from a beach in St. Croix.  They came with sand too.  What a fun surprise for my son's eighth birthday. 

Another Long Ride

What do you call a very tall dandelion?  A dandestanding?
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I saw many many of these dandestandings on my bike ride today.  They remind me of periwinkle flowers how the stems are tall and wiry and mostly grow by the side of roads.  The orange lilies are everywhere too.

It rained hard in the middle of the night.  I had to watch out for the wild dead and puddles.  Frogs get unlucky sometimes and get washed up on the road.  Birds were on the move.  I saw canaries, wrens, robins, and swans.  Yes, the swans are back. 

It was very humid and windy.  Do headwinds really make you stronger or do they just wear you down?  I've been feeling a little worn.

I love riding my bike.