Bright

Before our late bit of summer slips away, I had to share a wild flower garden I came apon a few weeks ago in the Birchwood neighborhood.  All the bright colors and textures really appeal to me, as well as the wild arrangement. 

Want to Play?

A perfect summer day at Northern Heights Elementary playground.

Paddling

Three teenagers paddle board on Lake Whatcom.  It looks like fun, I wish I had one too.

No Words Needed

It's just... summer.

Summer at the Farmers Market

My daughters and I went to the Bellingham Farmers Market on Saturday. We stopped by Cedar Mountain Botanicals for some freshly-cut soap (my eldest chose "Lavender Mist," my youngest "Put Me in the Zoo"), grabbed some fresh sugar snap peas because mine didn't do so well in the garden this year (too! much! rain!), listened to the buskers, and met with my friend Clarissa from the Vegan in Bellingham blog for some exquisitely delicious food from Ambo Ethiopian Cuisine (spongy sourdough injera, spicy lentils, savory potatoes, carrots and beets, and cabbage so tender it practically melted in my mouth). On our way out of the market, I found two very cute pink-and-brown striped knit winter hats in the $2 box at Red Boots Design that fit the kids perfectly. I couldn't pass up that deal, but have since pushed any thought of winter away and focused on being here now, in (finally!) summertime.

The grasses whisper of summer

and stretch toward the sun.

Lavender

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly. Lavender's green.

When I am king, dilly dilly, you'll be my queen.

Who told me so, dilly dilly? Who told me so?

'Twas my own heart, dilly dilly, that told me so.

I've always loved this old English folk song; it has such a sweet melody that makes me nostalgic for my childhood. Here's a little clip of Burl Ives singing a short version of the song from the Disney movie "So Dear to My Heart."

One of the many things I meant to do this summer (and didn't) was visit the lavender festival in Sequim, Washington, "the lavender capital of North America." I've only seen pictures, but wandering through fields and fields of lavender sounds magical to me. Shannon from Sequim Daily Photo has some nice lavender photos on her blog. Anyway, even a small patch of lavender, such as this one in Birch Bay, makes for a pretty picture.

I can't believe the summer's almost over... and there are so many things I was going to do! Next year, I guess. The canoe races on the Lummi indian reservation, the Subdued Stringband Jamboree, the Anacortes Art Festival... stay tuned, dear reader, because next year I'm doing it all!

Dancing

All types get down with The Clumsy Lovers at Boulevard Park's outdoor concert.

Cooling Off

We 'Hamsters are loving the (finally here!) summer temperature. Luckily, our highs are in the low 80's, unlike the rest of the sweltering States. Sorry, triple-digit bearers! Our hearts are with you!

Yogoman's Wild Rumpus

Otherwise known as hula-hooping night, the Wild Rumpus is one of the few times we can bring our kids with us to the Boundary Bay beer garden. A great way to enjoy a summer evening-- the kids are happily occupied... and we get to drink good beer. Cheers!

BTW the band playing in the background is Yogoman Burning Band, and they are awesome! Check out their music at http://www.myspace.com/yogomanburningband

"Aaaiiiiiiii!"

Here is another cliff-jumper at Whatcom Falls Park. He was pretty nervous, and stood at the edge thinking about it for about twenty minutes before he went for it. I wish I could have gotten a shot of his expression when he finally jumped, but seeing as how I would have had to jump backwards in front of him with a waterproof camera, that wasn't gonna happen!

Cliff Jumping is not for Sissies...

...so go ahead and call me a sissy, because I just took pictures! Whatcom Falls Park is the hot spot for jumping in Bellingham. If the temperature keeps climbing, I might just be brave enough to try it, because it does look like a fun way to cool off! Some guys were playing a drinking game-- throw the can of beer down, jump in after it, drink and repeat. It looked like quite a nice way to spend a couple hours.

Bloedel Donovan Park on a Hot Evening

It has hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit here the last few days, which is not the norm around here. I took this at about 8:30 last night-- if I'd taken it earlier in the day, you wouldn't have seen the grass for all the people. There were some brave souls jumping off the bridge into the water, which looked quite refreshing!