what we have here is a failure to communicate

Unsurprisingly to anyone who has been following my blog for any length of time, the height of summer is not when my best blogging gets accomplished. Reading, movie watching, writing, and art projects all get unceremoniously dumped onto the back burner in spite of my best efforts once July gets fully swinging. If the weather is at all good, this happens even more rapidly and severely. Hiking, camping, house guests, and activities with friends who only spend a few of the summer months in town all distract me. My work schedule is actually more manageable this year, but my commute is considerably longer and playing in the kitchen with all my fun CSA veggies is a whole new project for this year.

I need to take advantage of this rainy morning (one of the very few such days this month) to formally apologize to my book group The Wolves, and specifically to E. L. Fay (who picked this month’s book) for blatantly not even attempting to read Snow this month. I received it a few weeks ago through ILL, kept it around the house for quite awhile, but returned it without once cracking it open. Getting it read was just not going to happen. Whether or not it is any good is entirely beyond my knowledge. I look forward to reading any Wolfish reviews of it that pop up in the next few days. I will also not be finishing the second volume of Your Face Tomorrow for Richard’s group read before the end of the month, although I have made it 14 pages in and I intend to finish it eventually!

And now instead of harping on about what I haven’t accomplished this month, here’s what I have gotten done:

I got my car switched over from a lease to a loan so now it feels more like it’s really mine – thus, its first bumper sticker! And I did read one whole book this month – Embassytown by China Mieville. Really excellent stuff – perhaps I’ll write about it someday. Also pictured here are my first attempt at kale chips. They definitely need more experimentation.

Swiss chard and garlic scapes, a.k.a. playing in the kitchen. And check out the brilliant “Flying Saucer Peach”, something I found at the grocery store and adore for their yummy flavor and the fact that you can eat them without getting peach all over your entire face!

Keeping it chill with my cats is an ongoing project – and my first attempt at pesto came out really well.

Hanging out on the coastline and trekking up mountains – just your average Maine summer.

I go up to Baxter State Park at least once a year, and usually try to hike a new mountain. This years whirlwind one night camping trip and day of hiking saw North Traveler checked off the list. A pretty solid climb and then traverse across a scenic ridge line – 5 miles round trip – on a scorching hot day made a swim in the lake at the bottom especially nice. I adore Baxter State Park and have always had a fabulous time there. This trip was no exception.

And now I must dash – the skies are clearing and I plan to meet one of my sisters and a friend for a walk this afternoon before I head to work. Hope everyone is having a lovely summer!