I don’t know why it’s been so hard to make myself write a new post on my blog. There’s been plenty of things going on around here…but I think the problem is something that Gail of Clay and Limestone has often expressed…I’d much rather be out DOING something in this beautiful New England summer weather, than writing about it! I even have trouble bothering to take pictures when I’m out and about!

It’s just so NICE here right now, and it’s been a very long time since we’ve lived somewhere where the weather was great in the summer time. Hong Kong was beautiful, since the pollution clears up in the summer, but it’s hot, humid and it rains frequently (an understatement if I’ve ever heard one). With advance apologies to my Texas friends, summer in Texas sucks. It’s hot, hot, HOT, hot. Too hot to go outside. Plants wilt, people hide. I don’t miss it at all.

But New England in the summer…oh my, let me just babble here for a moment. Yes, it gets warm, but they don’t know what hot means up here. In fact I think this week we’re having a heat wave, since the temperatures are going into the 90’s for several days straight, but that’s unusual. Normally the highs are in the 80’s, and in the morning the temperatures are in the 50’s and 60’s! Heavenly.

Next, everything blooms and grows like crazy. My flowers are happy. My garden is relatively happy, considering the lousy soil. Wildflowers are growing in profusion. We have blackberries and blueberries growing right on our property, and the farm stands provide everything else. I’m even going to take a class on making jams and jellies next week, in order to do something with all of our bounty.

Third, there is so much to do. When we go into Boston the city is transformed. Everyone is out, eating in sidewalk cafes, playing in the parks, riding bikes, boating, just enjoying the sunshine. This time of year Boston is beautiful, very different from the grey frigid city of this winter.

The New Hampshire beaches are only 40 minutes away. We’ve gone a couple of times now and the only problem is that everyone loves to go to the beach this time of year, so we have to figure out the best place and best time to go to avoid the crowds. Also no dogs are allowed on the beaches in the summer, except before 9am and after 7pm, so most of the time poor Harper gets left behind.

If we don’t want to go to the city or to the beach there is always northern New Hampshire and Maine, only a few hours away. We’re going to Maine in a couple of weeks so I’ll report about that experience then.

The only drawback we’ve found so far is that yes indeed it does get buggy this time of year in the north. Mosquitoes, black flies and noseeums can make life miserable. I’ve been attacked by the flies while running and it’s no fun! Fortunately we have a screened gazebo now, so we can still enjoy the outdoors.

And yes, last week I did take my sailing class. It was good, very good! I’m a more knowledgeable sailor now, although I’m still nervous when the wind gets strong. But at least I have a better idea of what I should do. I can actually help around the boat now. I can tack (turning while going upwind), gybe (turning while going downwind), help rig the boat (but I get confused), sail out of a mooring field and sail back into one too. I need more practice but with Lee around I’m sure I’ll get plenty!

At some point almost every day this summer I have found myself thinking “oh, it’s almost mid-July (or the end of June, or mid-June)! This summer is going so fast! It’s so wonderful…please slow down. I don’t want it to end.” This feels like a turning point in my life, somehow. I’ve spent so much time wishing for things to hurry up and get to the next thing, whatever it might be. It feels strange but good to be so content with NOW to want things to slow down. The one thing that’s consistent though is that I’m still dissatisfied with how time moves. Too slow, too fast, it’s always something!