Summertime!

Lots of pics and few words, because pictures are more interesting anyway, right? (Though as a writer I suppose I'd better not really believe that . . .)

Enjoy.

Back to June and Alaska . . . and magnificent Denali



The Baker Beauties (this was BEFORE the bear got them . . .)



Sunrise (not that it exactly ever set . . . ) over our campsite at Toklat



A midnight shot after our writing and wine night



Summer ain't summer without a trip (or seven) to the Big Dipper! Guess who DIDN'T order the huckleberry ice cream!



A mariposa lily, giving a shy smile



Setting up camp at the June Shy Bear contra dance



Oh, those tree huggers! Just can't get away from 'em!



Stacey in the lupine



Basil being fierce (or just tired?) in the laundry basket



Afternoon sunlight and glittering summer bugs by the river



Sending Greg off to Namibia (only 16 days left, though!)



What's this? ANOTHER Big Dipper trip??



A lovely and oh-so-quintessential picture of Tricia and Benjamin (and, for that matter, Miriam)



Yet another typical, not to mention traditional, picture: Tricia and I on the Welcome Creek bridge



We spent a lot of time at Franklin Park's splash park . . .



. . . and got just a tad damp.



We also ate lots of yummy food . . . mmm!



Adult swim night at Splash Montana!



Which happened to be the same night two kids set Mt. Sentinel on fire--we had great views of the fire and smoke from the top of the water slides!



~400 acres burned



I've also spent a good few weeks doing a very late spring cleaning.

The contents of the Recycling Cave of Death:



The newly-organized RCoD:



I also decided to paint the meditation room (finally!)



Despite the strong paint smell, Basil's curiosity got the better of him:



and the lure of the window was too great to resist.



A job (mostly) well done!



I also washed the rugs, and then sat out on the balcony and read while they dried. Mmm, balcony.



The last big project was rearranging the living room thus, and suddenly it seems much more spacious. Huh.



But I had plenty of time to play, too! Here we are in Butte, heading downtown to the National Folk Festival



For those who seek an alternative energy mode of transportation:



I also decided to plant a garden this year--though I bought starts rather than plant seeds:



They were so little! So cute!



And for some reason I didn't anticipate how much they would grow!!



So now everything's a little crowded . . .



but it will still all taste very, very yummy.



the best of both worlds: mint chip and huckleberry