A snippet of summer

Old man in a swimming pool with a cigar

I guess the stick I threw in the pond for Zeus was kinda small.

It is stunningly bright today. We are dazzled and dazed. I think I have a sunburn.

At 4 p.m. it was 58˚

After a delicious Red Baron burger, plus the bonus of running into pals at the Airfield Cafe (you know who you are), we stopped at Home Depot and bought pea seeds (which are just dried peas, of course), a couple of lettuce seed packets, and two living plants – rosemary and thyme.

I wrote an article while John got some dirt therapy.

Then I went mucking out into the woods where there is a very small shallow pond where toads are breeding right now. I could hear them but not see them. They got away.

I have a crack in my muck boots and muddy water seeped in.

I heard an owl asking who cooks for me.

Piper entering the pattern over our pond

It is the weekend and it really, really feels like it.

Even though my life isn't much different on weekends except that the kids are home and there are kid activities. Writing happens any day, as does flying for my husband.

But it is the start of April vacation and the sun is so promisingly hot. We've survived a nor'easter, school's out and the weekend will be sunny and in the 60's.

I cast a few, looking to hook a smallmouth bass. No fish luck.

But I worked up a thirst for beer in a can. It's Pavlovian– sunshine, fishing, weekends means beer in cans! I may have to take a little ride to the Irving.

And there's the promise to youngest to take her and a friend to Lago's for the first ice cream of the season.

Comments

[R.Sherman]

Thanks for this post. A little respite from everything else.

Watching the Official Daughter play soccer under lights tonight. She'll want to hit the taco stand after, I imagine.

Cheers.

[Melissa]

Stepson thinks Lago's is the best ice cream. We're partial to Brown's.
Have you and Youngest done a scientific comparison of the two ice creams?
Maybe we should have an ice cream blogoff of some sort.
Most importantly:
It was such a LOVELY day, wasn't it?

[miss annie mac]

great photo of zeus! belongs in the orvis catalogue!

[Amy]

Melissa, maybe we choose a day we all go eat ice cream at a local spot near us and then blog about it. Memorial Day weekend? The New England Ice Cream Blog Carnival?

[Melissa]

Yes, let's. I believe Memorial Day weekend would be perfect. Maybe margaret would join in? Are there others?

[Amy]

We could just open it up to anyone anywhere. Carnival of Ice Cream? Hosted by Melissa and/or Amy? Actually, we could take turns and do ice cream once a month throughout the summer with a different host each month. Want me to do May and you can do June? Or vice versa! The we need hosts for July, August, maybe September. I'm shivering with anticipation!

[Tim]

We went down to the Beach Plum last night! That's our family stop.

Moose Tracks in a sugar cone for me, Mint Patty frozen yogurt in a cup for the missus, anything soft serve for the lads and a happy bunch.

Take a LOT of napkins.

[Amy]

Mm, Beach Plum. I like Maine Black Bear best. It is raspberry ice cream mixed with tiny dark chocolate cups filled with raspberry. Tim, you are right about the napkins.

[leslee]

Which place is the one out on rte 1 that gets long lines and gazillions of mosquitos mid-summer nights? I like the Beach Plum - the breeze keeps the skeeters away and I like sitting on the wall overlooking the beach. And Annabelle's when in Portsmouth.

[Melissa]

Amy-
Sounds like a perfect plan. If you could host May, I can do June (May's a busy travel month for me).
Beach plum sounds like a very tasty must try flavor. Wild Maine Blueberry is my current favorite. I'm a fickle girl, so there's no telling if it will last.