lazy summer days

I think we are in full summer mode now. Thank goodness. This summer it only took a month to shift down, so thankfully we did it before the end of July. I’m pretty sure last summer we didn’t manage this small miracle until August? Honestly I can’t remember exactly how long it took and it’s all pretty much a blur (another indication we took too long getting to this beloved slow pace).

So Allie and I are sitting outside in our backyard now. It even smells like summer. The flowers are in full bloom and the jasmine has managed to hang on for another week. I love that smell. For some reason a bird has decided we are in his territory (obviously he is not used to seeing people just hang around these parts), and has let us know for the last 5 minutes we are not so welcome. Besides flapping his wings every few seconds and flying dangerously low above our heads, he has not stopped chirping since we arrived. Butch (one of our Boston Terrier dogs) is determined to make our bird visitor accept us. Although I don’t think Butch’s mean and angry looks (or barks) are working out so well. Our bird “friend” has now turned his back on Butch and completely ignores the futile attempts to frighten him away. I guess the good news is our backyard bird has not resorted to sending any land mines down upon our heads (although I have heard that bird poop is good luck).

Allie just saw an ant pick up a huge piece of gravel and carry it away. As a kid I remember how amazed I was by the strength of ants. I also remember sitting in a patch of 3 leaf clovers that always grew in my front yard. I would spend hours and hours searching for that one and only 4 leaf clover I was sure must be hidden away in there, somewhere. I was certain if I found it my summer would somehow be magical. But looking back now I see I didn’t need to find a 4 leaf clover to have a magical summer. All my summers were magical just because I was able to slow down long enough to sit in a pile of 3 leaf clovers without a care in the world, except whether or not my mom was planning on cooking liver for dinner that night. Not exactly my favorite meal. Oh well, so the entire summer wasn't so magical, just mostly magical.