Golden Days

In the mornings, a slight haze obscures the distant view across the strait. I can no longer catch a glimpse of the Olympic Mountains. Later, the sun burns through the clouds. By evening the garden is infused with a warm glow - bittersweet, for I know it heralds the end of summer.

How can this be? It seems that summer is barely begun. Each morning I've had fruit topped with yogurt and nuts for breakfast - I started in June with raspberries and blueberries, now it's peaches, dripping sweet. 

Last week I spent some time with the grands. Miss A is learning to sew! For the first attempt she drew a picture with fabric markers (a fish race with mermaid cheerleaders) and she sat on my knee so that I could work the foot pedal. She created a pillow. 

For the next attempt, I set the machine on a little table and gave her some paper to practice using the foot pedal. Then she made a pin cushion for her mother, and a small bag to put it in (along with corners clipped from sewing the pin cushion, because she thought they were pretty). 

I'm tickled pink with the sewing success. 

Three horses, made by my eldest daughter for the three cousins, also came for a visit. Pinkerton, Serena, and Neigh pranced up and down the garden sloped before being tossed aside in favour of the splash pool.

I picked a bunch of Queen Anne's Lace while walking one day. Such a delicate looking flower, yet so sturdy - growing, it seems, from the hardest, driest patches of dirt. 

And a nodding dahlia, perfect in symmetry, part of a bouquet clipped for my neighbour who recently turned 70 and had a small party on Saturday evening.

I've finally painted the master bedroom. I talked about doing it last spring break, but it didn't get done. Since the curtains had to come down anyway, they were washed, too. I still need to rehang the pictures, and that will likely happen later today. 

How are you spending these August days? Are they golden for you?