Summering

Yesterday, between the Federer victory at Wimbledon and the Italy victory in the World Cup, we sandwiched in a walk down to the little beach with the girls. Ruth exhibited her swimming prowess for all of us, and Lola enjoyed getting wet. We all walked part of the way home together, but the Chap veered off down a side lane, to attend the annual Road Association meeting. (Always held the Sunday after July Fourth.)

Here's what the girls did after their morning swim...



In the mid- afternoon, the big boat passed us by for the second and final Sunday cruise.



Later we all went down to the dock, so the humans could have their swim.



I almost never eat ice cream--I sometimes go nearly a year without having any. It's always available, since my Chap has a bowl every damn night, like his grandfather and father before him, and all his siblings. Not a habit of mine (she said virtuously).

And yet--the nieces and nephew left us with these adorable tiny ice cream cones.



So if it's cute enough, I will actually consume food I normally avoid. Or maybe all the walking and swimming gave me an appetite for a wee serving of mint chocolate chip.

This morning we woke to a quiet lake--all the weekenders had returned to their regular lives. The village was quiet as I passed through on my way to the Lodge, to water the plants and gather some flowers and pick up the recent newspapers. An inter-library loan book was waiting for me in town. I stopped at the bank for some cash. Dropped by the Post Office to collect a big batch of accumulated mail to bring up to the cottage.

Due to floods and late planting, the corn field near the Lodge doesn't look at all like it should in the second week of July. But the recent spell of hot, dry weather has allowed one of my friends to cut his hay, which is consumed by his neighbour's horse. Lots of other fields want mowing--soon!

On the way back, I passed a sign for our favourite raspberry farm, announcing that picking had begun. It was a gorgeous morning, so I made an unplanned detour and drove all the way to the top of the ridge to get some fruit. Of course, the place is "Closed Mondays". But I got a reward anyway, a grand view of the distant mountains!



Coming down the hill I spotted a handpainted marker in front of one house: 4 Sale--Bunnies and Finches. What sort of finches, I wonder? At the Lodge our feeders are crowded with the wild ones: goldfinches, purple finches, grosbeaks.

At the new supermarket near the roundabout, I picked up some shrimp for tomorrow's supper. On reaching the cottage, I arranged my roses and other flowers.



I've got loads of magazines and newspapers, not to mention a batch of books--the one from the library, and a 2-volume biographical novel about the 17th century Duchess of Somerset, "Countess Carrots" which I'd ordered online just before coming to the Big Lake. Our weatherman predicts thunderstorms later today, and some rain tomorrow, and spending time indoors will enable me to get through the stacks of reading material.

And do some writing!