solitary perch

Friends,

I am saying a short and tiny goodbye today. Gonna wade out to that sunny warm rock and perch myself upon it and take a summer breather from the blogging. I have some other "things" that need my attention: other photo stuff, family activities, and my own personal care.  All good stuff, just listening to the whisper in my ear that is telling me to take a little blog vacation.

I will be back August 1st.

Until then,
t

p.s. One of my favorite things this summer has been to photograph Bean in her pink hat. I bought this pink hat for her several years ago and she has finally "owned" it. Makes me smile. :)

the plunge

(This is our favorite lake, filled with snow melt off. It freezes parts off, if you know what I mean.)

I was going to narrate this entire scene but thought it would be best left without words. I think you know what it might be like to work up the courage to take the plunge while others are watching. While they are waiting (and heckling) for you to toughen up and get your bravery on you finally show up and show off.

Besides, the plunge is not for them anyway. It's for you. You want to prove to yourself that you have got what it takes to do it.

And you want to feel the joy of the accomplishment.

(Even though it leaves you with a massive brain freeze and a mouth full of cuss words.)

In case you need to see it in real time...

I remind myself of this every day:

Pay no attention to the hecklers that live inside of your head. You possess what it takes to show up to your own life and take a plunge or two. It's time to get your bravery on!

Oh Fall where art thou?

The heat wave here in California has been insufferable. Three digit heat. "Spare the Air" days. It's like July finally arrived, two months too late and we are all melting. Though I love California I must say that I grieve not having four complete seasons. It is either sunny/hot or rainy/cold and barely anything in between. And I'm a Fall girl through and through.  It pains me to see my boots and clogs in the back of my closet gathering dust. And it pains me to see the leaves go from green to crunchy brown overnight. (Any of you in the mid west, east coast area, fill free to mail me some of your colorful leaves so I can remember what Fall is like.) Ok, enough whining. So last Sunday evening the kids had an opportunity to swim at their cousin's community pool.
There were enough goggles to go around...

Yep, the pain about goggles, like California summers, is that they linger way past their welcome.

stack 'em up, toss 'em up, hunt 'em down (repeat 100 times)

They spent hours upon hours in the pool in 100+ degree heat. So what do you do to pass hours of time in the pool? Hunt for pennies, that's what. You toss them out in a rainfall upon the water, let them sink in drifts to the bottom, count to three, fill your lungs, and dive deep...
...swiping up as many as you can.

Of course, when you are a mermaid, collecting pennies is easy.

We had a super fun weekend with good friends, swimming, exploring, eating, and catching up.
Cannot believe it's Monday already, can you?