Embracing the Summer Mood

I almost didn't write a column for today. I almost skipped this in favor of another new recipe to play around with in the kitchen, another glass of wine, another page read in a book from my stacks, a few more photographs of flowers from our garden. Summer is like that - enticing me to indulge in anything that keeps me away from my desk.

Sometimes I give in.

Today's column is my white flag of surrender to summer, a season all too short here in Minnesota. Here are my distractions:

Front garden in full bloom

A doe rested beneath our backyard spruce early Monday morning

The same doe wary of me and my camera

One of my favorite lilies - that the deer did not eat!

Tomatoes ripening on our deck

Partridge peas peep through the greenery

A jalapeño almost ready to be part of a salsa recipe

Homemade pizza with heirloom tomatoes from the farmers market

{"items":["f754b5_0a374d201ce041bda3a45baab1ce16a2~mv2.jpg","f754b5_12bf683733d64cd58b3f30bfecdfcaaf~mv2.jpg","f754b5_bfcb8335a3d0457891dc2cf27d249324~mv2.jpg"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":false,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fit","cubeRatio":1,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":300,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":10,"galleryMargin":0,"floatingImages":0,"chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":3,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCubeRatio":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":3,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":1,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":false,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":0,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"useCustomButton":false,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_ON_HOVER","galleryHorizontalAlign":"center","galleryTextAlign":"center","galleryVerticalAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"link","fullscreen":false,"allowSocial":false,"allowDownload":false,"allowTitle":true,"allowDescription":false,"loveButton":false,"loveCounter":false,"videoPlay":"onClick","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","scrollDirection":0,"overlayAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowTitleExpand":true,"allowDescriptionExpand":true,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"APPEARS","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxHeightMode":"AUTOMATIC","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":0,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"textsVerticalPadding":0,"textsHorizontalPadding":0,"titleDescriptionSpace":6,"customButtonText":"","customButtonBorderWidth":1,"customButtonBorderRadius":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"NO_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":0,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"galleryLayout":2,"gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":300,"allowHover":true,"mobileSwipeAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","gotStyleParams":true,"showVideoPlayButton":true,"modifiedGallerySize":true,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|fit|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":false,"externalInfoHeight":0,"externalInfoWidth":0},"container":{"galleryWidth":2580,"galleryHeight":1440,"scrollBase":0,"height":null,"width":null}}

Last is an array of items from the summer tie-dye project I did with my granddaughter last Friday. She's had more experience than I have doing tie dye; her shirt is the first photo on the left, above, which she did with zero help from me.

Now, I'm going to get back to these bright, hot days at home, with nowhere to go, no no appointments or other outside requirements other than to stay healthy and keep informed. This is a summer unlike any other. I'm going to embrace what's good about it.

#summerathome #notesfromthepandemic