Summer Fun

 Thursday - Lake Placid

I signed up to volunteer just a couple of days ahead of the competition, and luckily Peggy was working that day too. We rode up together and spent a pleasant afternoon rink side helping out with the Ice Dancing Championship event. During the four hour shift, I "worked" a total of 20 minutes running the results up to the office on the third floor. I got my 10,000 steps just walking around the venue, watching the skaters, and chatting with Peggy and Lyne.

It was the last day of competition so we got to watch the top performers.

I was enchanted by the costumes. 

We stopped for dinner at a brewpub in Lake Placid before the drive home. What a pleasant way to earn lift tickets!

Friday - Bike Ride

We rode 35 miles along the Mohawk River with 13 of us in the group. The river was high and muddy due to our recent storms. The weather was just beautiful for a ride topped off with ice cream!

Valerie snapped this picture of me, Peggy, Lyne, Amyjean, and Charlene.

We stopped for lunch at a farm store that had a flower bed that was in full bloom.

Much of our group getting ready for the 17.5 mile return trip after lunch.

Saturday - Garden

The black eyed Susan's are just prolific this year. 

A new visitor to my garden, the Pearl Crescent butterfly! 

Everything is blooming save for a few plantings that are done. The days are getting shorter so I'm making sure to enjoy the garden as much as working in it. But both are my joy!

Sunday - 

Today was marked by two passings, one a former student who was only 49 years old. Regina was a delight as a student in the '90's. She was always in the thick of activity and making things happen for her classmates. I didn't run into her again until she became a parent of two whom I also taught. She was an employee of the school district as well and was one of those people whose involvement just made the community better. I really feel for her kids who are also lovely people left to navigate the loss of their mother in their early 20's.

I also found out the husband of my former colleague passed away this morning. I taught her two children as well. The losses of people who I consider too young, are leaving this world bereft. It just seems so sad. 

Monday - My dear friend Dale let me know she was hospitalized over the weekend for a kidney stone gone septic. She's home now, so I busied myself making her and Dan dinner, then drove over to deliver it. She was grateful for the company and not having to cook. 

I had just enough time to get home, clean up, and head to Doc Brown's for a midsummer celebration with friends. We enjoyed the time in a beautiful setting by the lake.

Me, Jill, Geri, AJ, and Peggy. We had a beautiful view of the lake as 
seen in the window reflection.

Saratoga Lake. The water was so high, that Brown's beach has been closed indefinitely. We are expecting more storms this week too.

Tuesday - Book club at my house was a pleasant four hours discussing Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver. We are going to continue with Flight Behavior as our next book to finish our author study on Kingsolver.

The storms keep knocking down the gladiolas, so lots of flowers in the house.

Meanwhile, I have a dozen little caterpillars making their way towards butterfly status, and one graduate.

This is Calendula, the little egg that started this season's butterfly rearing.
He flew off just an hour later.

The current caterpillar farm. The little numbers help me keep track of how many are in each jar so
I don't accidentally throw one out when I clean out the jars each morning.
The plus sign indicates an egg is present.

Now, a day of mowing and food processing (strawberries, pesto, and kale) is underway.