Summer Solstice

Today is the first official day of summer, though it's been hot enough this fortnight. At least frequent thunderstorms have removed the necessity of watering the garden. We've gotten two pickings of green beans, two salads' worth of chard, and about six tomatoes so far. Very heartening. Too bad we're going to leave it all to the birds and the drought when we leave town next month (leaving the house sufficiently staffed with ferocious guard dogs, of course).

This week I hope to take the tots on a blueberry-picking expedition. I think Jane and Ella might be old enough to contribute to the general bucket, and if we leave early enough it might not be too hot. Meanwhile we lie about indoors under ceiling fans, trying to move as few muscles as possible and coming up with recipes for cold soup. And then Michael, who is not nearly such a martyr to frugality, comes home and rescues us by turning up the A/C. I do not relish the thought of three more months of this.