Wednesday Weather Watch . . .

 
The cloudy/cool/rainy non-summer of 2011 continues here in the north country.  Any day I can leave the house without sunglasses is a day that doesn't deserve to call itself summer.  At least I know I'm not alone in my fatalistic world weather views -- on the day of the summer solstice, the grocery checker commented to me that it was almost the 4th of July and then summer was over. I knew in that moment that she and I understood each other completely.  (Even though she forgot to bag my lettuce and therefore it never made it home, and I've since withdrawn the designation of "soulmate"...)

But like the T-shirt says . . . 

life is good here nonetheless.

The sun peeks out occasionally to remind us that he's trying and beg our patience, and of course we're quick to forgive and willing to drop everything to throw a party whenever he shows up.

A great blue heron and I   have been doing an uneasy dance every morning for the past week or so -- it sits on the rail of the little bridge I cross on my walk, and lets me get very close before shooting me a look of annoyance and lazily flying away, legs trailing in an elegant line.  I wonder if it is guarding a nest nearby, and worry a bit about the coyotes and hawks and bald eagle (!) and even black bear (!!) that have been spotted in the neighborhood recently.

 cloudy cabin weather but it didn't stop us from 

enjoying a truly lovely Sunday at the lake

That's the thing about MN -- if you do bother to venture out, you're bound to encounter some real natural beauty not more than 10 steps from your own front door.

As long as it's not buried in a snowbank, that is, and I'd like to thank Mr. Sun for at least caring about his job enough to keep us free of snow in June.

Just counting a few blessings.

 

(oh -- and my kiddies arrived in Denver without a hitch -- if you're in the area in the next few weeks, please stop by Show of Hands and introduce yourself, because I'd love to meet you!)